Second Loves always last
by Placebia
Summary: After forgetting all hope of ever being with Masamune, will Yokozawa Takafumi find love in the face of his new neighbour. Love or not, but the 16-year-old already has our hero's attention. Yokozawa/OC Rated for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

AN - This is an old fanfiction I started writing some time ago and then abandoned, and now I've decided to give it a second chance. :)  
So it's yaoi, with adult themes in later chapters. Main couple Yokozawa Takafumi/OC, Masamune/Ritsu is also featured (but not so much, because we all know how it's going to end), also the other couples from the anime could be mentioned later on. The story begins on the day that Masamune rejects Takafumi.  
I don't own SH, if I had, Ritsu would have confessed in episode 1, which wouldn't have made a very good anime... I do own my OC though. :)  
PS: I'm actually a huge fan of Yokozawa T./ Kirishima Z., but I just can't seem to be able to write a good story about the two. :(

* * *

Yokozawa Takafumi opened the door and entered his apartment. He turned the lights on and saw his reflection in the full-sized mirror opposite him. He thought he looked like shit – soaked to the bone, his wet hair sticking to his face, and with red, puffy eyes due to all the crying. He sniffed. How he wished this day turned out to be a nightmare! Sadly, he knew that everything that had happened was real and inevitable. Takafumi sighed, and closed the front door. He was feeling exhausted, both mentally and physically. He wondered if he should call in sick tomorrow – he could do with a day off and he had quite a few unused days that had accumulated . But his department was buried in work, and it would be irresponsible to be absent at that moment and leave all his tasks to his colleagues. Besides, Takafumi felt that it'd do him better if he was working, at least then he'd have something to distract him from his depressing thoughts.

Takafumi took a quick shower and got dressed in dry, casual clothes. Just as he exited his bedroom, he realised that Sorata was nowhere around. The cat would usually greet him at the front door, expecting food in return. Takafumi called his name a couple of times, but with no result. He looked everywhere around the apartment – under the bed, in cupboards, in his wardrobe, behind the curtains, everywhere he could think of. Sorata was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly it dawned on Takafumi that when he arrived he had left the front door opened for a while. Perhaps the cat had gone out in the hallway. He exited his apartment and began searching for his pet. The hallways were empty of furniture and had little places for a cat to hide. But still Takafumi's efforts were in vain. He was beginning to grow desperate. Just his luck! He lost Masamune's cat the same day that Masamune turned him down. Takafumi cursed at himself for being so careless.

He was passing by the front door of the apartment which was closest to his – it was on the opposite side of his home and stood in the middle between Takafumi's apartment and the apartment next door. It had been empty ever since Takafumi had moved here, but he remembered that there have been people that morning carrying large cardboard boxes, so he figured someone had finally moved in. He wondered briefly whether he should halt his search for Sorata to introduce himself to his new neighbour, but just then he heard a voice coming from the apartment.

- Did you like the milk, Mr Kitty? Would you like me to pour you another bowl?

Well, it was possible that the guy owned a cat, but Takafumi had already knocked on the door when the thought occurred to him. He gulped and hoped dearly that Sorata was in there.

A young boy opened the door. He looked about sixteen and had black, slightly curled hair and bright blue eyes. Takafumi noticed he had piercing on his right ear, his eyebrow and his lip. The boy was dressed in tight black jeans and a white sweater with horizontal black stripes – it could have also been a black sweater with horizontal white stripes – which went a little under his waist. He looked like an under-aged delinquent but the softness in his eyes and his kind smile told otherwise. He was looking at Takafumi with curiosity.

- I'm sorry for the disturbance, but have you seen a cat around here? – Takafumi asked.

- Yeah. – The boy smiled. – Come in.

Takafumi followed him into the small kitchen. The walls were painted in a sunny, yellow colour and the furniture was made out of some kind of orange wood. There was a bowl of milk on the floor next to a small dining table for four. Sorata was sitting happily beside the bow, with milk dripping from his nose and whiskers.

- I opened the door to go and throw out some garbage and he just entered. – The teen explained.

- I'm sorry about that, I left the front door opened for just a moment and haven't noticed that he went out.

- What? No, it was no problem at all. – The guy smiled brightly. – I really like cats and he is really cute and nice. What's his name?

- Sorata.

- Aw, how cute! But he didn't seem to mind me calling him Mr Kitty.

- Well, of course that he didn't. Give him food or milk and he'll let you call him whatever you wish. He'd even sell me for a bowl of milk. – Takafumi said.

The guy burst out laughing. He had a pleasant laughter.

- Anyway, it was a nice welcome to the building. – He said. – My name is Hirohata Nikko, by the way.

- Yokozawa Takafumi. I live err… somewhat next door.

- Nice to meet you, Yokozawa-san! – Nikko said cheerfully. – And I'm happy to be able to return Sorata to you. It seems like you really love that cat.

- Huh? Why'd you say that? – Takafumi was surprised.

- Well, um… - Nikko looked discomforted for a moment – you … well, it's obvious that you've been crying. Your eyes are still red and all…

- Oh … - Takafumi looked away embarrassed.

- Oh, it's not a bad thing, Yokozawa-san! – Nikko quickly added. – It's really rare nowadays to see someone so attached to their pet.

Good thing that the boy thought Takafumi had been crying about Sorata missing. The older man bent down and took the cat in his arms.

- I think I should go now, I've inconvenienced you too much as it is. – He said automatically.

- It wasn't a problem at all, honestly. – Nikko replied. He petted Sorata on the head. – Bye-bye, Sorata, it was nice having you around. It was nice meeting you too, Yokozawa-san.

- Yeah, well, you know if you … you really don't mind having Sorata around I could leave him here whenever I'm on a business trip. Only if you want to, of course.

- Oh, that would be great! – Nikko exclaimed cheerfully, clapping his hands together.

- Okay then. – Takafumi replied. – Umm, bye.

- Bye, Yokozawa-san.

Takafumi entered his own apartment, holding Sorata in his arms. He made sure the door was tightly shut before he let the cat down on the floor.

- Don't ever run off like that again. – He said a bit tiredly.

Sorata meowed and rubbed his head against his leg. Takafumi knew this was a kind of apology, but he didn't really felt that angry with his pet. After all, Sorata was merely a cat, he didn't know any better. It was a good thing that he had stumbled upon Nikko. His new neighbour seemed really nice, although he looked too young to be living alone. Takafumi didn't know what had made him offer to leave Sorata with Nikko every time he was away. Usually, Masamune took care of the cat in those cases. Besides, it was a bit too early to be asking such a favour from his new neighbour. But the boy had said that he didn't mind. Actually, he had looked pretty happy about it.

Takafumi noticed that Sorata was sitting, staring at him intently. He knew what that meant.

- Oh, come on! You've just had a large bowl of milk, how can you still be hungry? – He sighed. – You're gonna get really fat, Sorata.

Meanwhile Nikko was preparing dinner. He usually restrained himself from eating so late, but his whole day had been messed up with the moving. He sighed. He hadn't really wanted to move. He was excited about living alone, but he wished this had been the main reason for his moving. It was true that in Tokyo he'd be safer, because there were more people there, but he didn't know anyone here. All his friends and family had stayed in Okinawa.

Well, now he knew one person. His next-door-neighbour, Yokozawa-san, seemed like a decent man. He looked a bit cold-hearted at first, but was in fact quite friendly and polite. And he liked cats. Nikko firmly believed that a man who loved animals couldn't be bad.

At that moment his cell phone rang. He picked up and leaned his head to his shoulder, propping the phone in between, so that his hands would be free to cut the meat.

- Hi, mum. – Nikko said cheerfully. – Yeah, everything's fine, I've already settled in. Now I'm making dinner – chicken with vegetables. It's healthy, mum, don't worry. Everything is alright; you know that if it weren't, I'd call you. Ok, bye, mum!

He sighed as he put his cell phone away. He knew that his mother meant well, but sometimes he found her fondness and caring a bit too tiring.

It took him half an hour to cook his meal. Nikko wasn't a particularly good cook, but he rarely burnt anything and the result almost always ended up looking similar to the picture in the cookbook. Besides, he cooked only for himself, and he wasn't very picky about his food.

He ate as quickly as possible. He had heard of people enjoying everything they ate and could never understand that. Food was a necessity to him, but not because he liked it, but because he needed it to function normally. Nikko hated food and ate only when he was literally starving. He was still waiting for the day when science could introduce photosynthesis to humans as well.

After he was finished he cleaned the table and washed the dishes. Then he went into the bathroom. He filled the bathtub with hot water and put some bath salts in it. Baths were something he enjoyed. They were relaxing. It was a real pleasure to lean back in the hot water and close your eyes and think.

He undressed himself and stepped into the steaming bathtub. He sighed with pleasure as he positioned himself comfortably. Then he rested his head on the edge of the bathtub and closed his eyes. If only he could stay like this forever…

His thoughts wandered for a while amongst countless topics – starting with the weather, then continuing to the journey to the city and his new home, then taking a turn to the more philosophical topics like why Nikko had been forced to run away without actually doing anything bad and eventually setting his mind on the age-old question about the elusive meaning of Life. Nikko pondered about it for a while and finally decided that whatever meaning Life had, it wouldn't be discovered by sitting around asking what it was.

Then he thought about his new neighbour. The man looked young. Well, he was older than Nikko, of course, but he wasn't exactly old. Nikko guessed he was about thirty years old. Then he thought about his eyes. They were blue, but not like his own. Yokozawa-san's eyes were a darker shade of blue. They were also red from crying. Nikko had never seen an adult cry. Of course, adults were also allowed to cry, he thought, but most of them chose not to. He didn't know why – they probably thought it wasn't appropriate.

Nikko wondered if he too, when he grew up, would act as … illogically as most adults did.

He grudgingly rose out of the water and reached out to take a towel from the rack. He dried himself up and then wrapped it around his waist. He then stared at his reflection in the mirror above the sink. Lots of the girls at his previous school thought he was good-looking. He didn't think so. He couldn't help but notice a certain femininity in his looks and he didn't like that. It attracted the wrong kind of people.

Nikko suddenly shuddered, feeling his spine freeze up. It had happened eight years ago, but he still hadn't got over it – he wasn't sure if he ever would. He shook his head and tried to collect himself. He was safe … for now.

Nikko went in his bedroom and put on his PJs. He crawled in bed and rested his head on the pillow, lying sideways and staring at the wall. He soon fell asleep, his dreams filled with bad memories.

Takafumi woke up early, as usual. He gave Sorata some food and prepared himself a light breakfast as well. He sat down on the table with a mug of steaming coffee in his hand and mentally listed all his tasks for today. He grunted at the seemingly endless list.

Half an hour later he locked his apartment and headed for the elevator. He pushed the button and waited patiently.

- Good morning, Yokozawa-san.

He turned and saw Nikko.

- Morning. – He greeted. – School?

- Yup. First day, too. – Nikko sighed.

- I see. – Takafumi said just as the elevator door opened. The two stepped inside. Takafumi noticed the teen looked troubled and, uncharacteristically for him, decided to cheer him up a bit. – But I'm sure everything will be fine.

- I hope so. – Nikko said as the elevator went down. – How is Sorata?

- He's fine. – Takafumi replied. – I've fed him just a while ago, so he should be happy for the rest of the day.

Nikko sighed. The elevator reached the ground floor and he and Takafumi exited the building together. Takafumi was just about to wish Nikko a nice day when the teen suddenly spoke up.

- Sometimes I wish I were a cat. – He said quietly. – They have it so easy.

Without adding anything else he turned and departed, leaving Takafumi flabbergasted. The older man watched his new neighbour bewildered. What was that about? He wondered if Nikko was going through a rough time, but the boy had seemed perfectly normal just last evening. Takafumi shrugged. Nikko had probably just been nervous about school.

'Teenagers think they have it bad.' He thought sourly as he headed for the underground station.


	2. Chapter 2

Takafumi had a bad day today. He tried hard to concentrate on his current tasks, but every now and then he would remember the previous day, when he got rejected by Masamune, and he'd feel as if he'd burst into tears. He even made a few unnecessary bathroom breaks just to escape from his colleagues everytime he felt his tears would spill out. It didn't help his case that a colleague of his had just got engaged and was boasting and showing off her ring to everyone in the office.

Takafumi wasn't feeling ready to face his friend yet, so he tried to stay on his floor until he finished work. However, that meant that he had to endure the whole day without coffee, food, or cigarettes. By the time Takafumi had staggered to his apartment building, his head was spinning, his stomach hurt and he felt extremely weak. He entered the building and sighed. He craved to go home and just lay on the bed … after eating something, of course.

- Good evening, Yokozawa-san!

Takafumi turned and waved tiredly at Nikko. His neighbour was dressed in a black hoodie and black jeans and looked like he was about to head out. He noticed with slight envy that the boy seemed to be full of energy and didn't show any signs of being tired despite the late hour.

- You look ill. – Takafumi could sense the worry in Nikko's voice.

- It's nothing, just had a busy day at work. – He lied at the same time his stomach decided to rumble loudly.

He quickly placed his hand on it and blushed slightly.

- Sorry about that. – He quickly said.

- I shouldn't hold you up any longer, Yokozawa-san. – Nikko said with sympathy. – You should go and eat something.

Takafumi nodded and headed for the elevator. As he got in, he got a glimpse of Nikko going out of the building, before the door closed. He wondered where Nikko could be going at that hour. Then he shrugged. What did it matter to him?

He entered his apartment and was greeted by Sorata. He smiled lightly and petted his cat. Then he went into the kitchen and took out a can of food for Sorata. He watched his pet eat and couldn't help but think about Nikko's words from that morning. The teen had been right, Takafumi thought sadly, cats did have it so easy.

Takafumi then opened the fridge and grabbed some leftovers from yesterday. He didn't care that the food was cold and tasteless; he was so hungry he just wanted to stuff his stomach with something. Then he sat on his sofa, pulled an ash tray closer to him and lit up his first cigarette for the day. He sighed, enjoying the well-known taste in his mouth. Takafumi didn't believe he was addicted to smoking, but he had been a smoker since college and by now he was used to it. It calmed him down.

He was just about to light a second cigarette when the doorbell rang. He got up grudgingly and went to open the door. He saw Nikko. His neighbour was holding a bag – apparently he had just been to the convenience store. The teen looked rather nervous.

- Sorry to disturb you, Yokozawa-san. I just wanted to see if you were alright, because you seemed really ill earlier… - Nikko explained shyly.

- Yeah, I'm fine now. – Takafumi replied. – Sorry to have worried you. And thank you for your concern.

- Oh, it's nothing! We're neighbours after all. – The boy smiled. – Well, glad to see you're fine. Have a nice evening! – Nikko turned and hurried to his own apartment.

- You too. – Takafumi muttered and closed the door.

Nikko was really a nice kid, Takafumi thought when he returned to the living room. It was really rare nowadays to see a polite teenager. The boy seemed to be genuinely worried about him, even though they weren't close at all.

- I am an idiot! – Nikko muttered angrily to himself.

Sure, Yokozawa-san was a nice person, but the boy felt he had gone too far by going to see how he was that late at night. What would his neighbour think? Besides, Nikko realised he shouldn't trust people so easily, not after what he had gone through. But still… Yokozawa-san had looked so tired and helpless in the lobby. And Nikko knew that he lived alone, not counting the cat – why would he offer to leave Sorata with the teen otherwise - but his pet couldn't offer any help if something happened to him.

Nikko flushed with embarrassment and irritation. When earlier that evening he had heard Yokozawa-san's stomach growl, he had almost invited him to dinner! The man just looked like he needed someone to take care of him.

Nikko shook his head. He was sixteen! He wasn't the right person to take care of a mature adult, whom he barely knew. Hell, he wasn't even sure that his neighbour needed someone to take care of him. It was possible that Yokozawa-san had only had a busy day at work and had just been tired. Nikko cursed at his soft-heartedness.

- I guess even going through hell can't change me… – He said softly.

Nikko woke up on the next morning earlier than usual. His alarm hadn't gone off yet. He lazily got out of bed, knowing that having once woken up he wouldn't be able to go to sleep again. The teen went to the window and looked out. It was still dark outside, but the street lamps were off, so Nikko could hardly see anything. His eyes gradually got used to the darkness and he managed to make out the pavement in front of the building. He squeezed his eyes slightly and neared his face to the window. Wasn't there a darker shape where there was supposed to be only pavement? Nikko could feel his heart slowing down and beating louder. It wasn't possible, he thought, but his body still froze in fear.

After some time a car passed by and its lights hit the spot where the dark figure was. There was nothing there. Nikko sighed in relief. It had just been his crazy imagination after all. Yet he didn't move from his position by the window. A flood of old memories came rushing to him – the tall figure, the insane laughter, the paralyzing touch …

His alarm went off and startled the teen. Nikko jumped up and shook his head, returning to reality. Murmuring slightly angry, he began preparing for school.

- Morning, Yokozawa-san…

Just as he was locking his door, his neighbour exited his apartment. The older man nodded to him and smiled lightly, but suddenly frowned and stepped closer to Nikko. He looked at the teen intently, causing Nikko to shift uncomfortably.

- Is everything alright? – Yokozawa-san asked. – You look … troubled.

- I'm fine. – Nikko's voice cracked at the last word; he gasped and looked away quickly, his face flushed. – I … I have to go. I'll take the stairs. – He quickly added and rushed past the surprised man.

Takafumi stood there for over a minute, completely stunned. Apparently, he had been wrong and Nikko really was having problems. He wondered about whether it had anything to do with Nikko living alone. He had to admit though, that his neighbour did well not to trust him – not that Takafumi was an unreliable person, but it was unwise to confide your problems in a man who you'd known for only two days.

- At least he knows how to take care of himself. – The man muttered.

He felt a bit hurt for some reason, though, that Nikko had obviously felt too uncomfortable to even share the lift with him.

During the day, Takafumi was surprised to catch himself occasionally thinking about Nikko. He couldn't get the boy's reaction out of his head. The teen had looked so … shattered. He had reminded him of Masamune when he had broken down. And out of habit, Takafumi felt the need to help the troubled teen.

He rested his chin on his hands and stared at his desk. When he met Nikko for the first time, he thought that the teen was a nice, polite and cheerful guy. Now when he thought about it, he realised Nikko had not been so cheerful after all. He recalled the teen's anxiety the day before, which along with his peculiar behaviour today seemed to point to some serious problem. Takafumi hoped that the teen had someone beside him who would help him.

- Yokozawa… Yokozawa!

Takafumi looked up slightly startled. He saw Masamune, standing beside his desk. He felt a sharp pain go through his chest and his eyes becoming moist.

- What is it? – He asked, surprised that his voice sounded calm.

- Are you feeling alright? You were spaced out for about two minutes. You didn't even hear me calling you.

Takafumi could sense the worry in the editor's voice. That made him slightly worse. He wanted to stay friends with Masamune, but only now he realised that it would be harder for him to overcome his feelings that way.

- I'm fine. – He suddenly remembered Nikko had said exactly the same words and was surprised to find out that the pain in his chest seemed to die down. – I've just been caught up with my thoughts. – He added with a stable voice.

- I see. – Masamune replied, looking at him with curiosity. He looked like he was about to say something, but decided to remain silent.

- Anyway, what are you doing here? – Takafumi asked.

- Isaka-san has scheduled an urgent meeting in ten minutes. He requested someone from sales to attend as well. – His friend explained.

- Alright, I'll come. – Takafumi sighed tiredly and stood up. – Hey, - he asked quietly when he and Masamune were in the elevator – how … how are things between you and Onodera?

- They could be better. – His friend replied honestly. – I am certain that Ritsu loves me back, but he's just too stubborn to confess it. But on the other hand he seems more and more reluctant when he pushes me away.

- I'm sure everything will be alright between you two. – Takafumi said quietly.

He wondered whether he should tell Masamune that Ritsu was really in love with him, but decided he shouldn't involve himself anymore. Besides, he was positive it was a matter of time until Ritsu confessed, and it was better for Masamune to hear the declaration coming out of his love's mouth. Takafumi sighed and suddenly his thoughts wandered to Nikko again…

The meeting was surprisingly dull – usually a lot of shouting occurred on these events. But today the company president had requested an urgent meeting because of a fire which had destroyed almost all of the first printed issues, and now they had to determine the size of the compensation they would demand – it was obvious the fire was caused by reckless behaviour and low security.

Even though Takafumi hardly took part in the meeting, he still felt extremely exhausted at the end. He barely made it through the rest of the day. The monotonous rocking of the train almost put him to sleep and he got off at his station the moment before the doors closed.

Takafumi almost gratefully stepped out of the elevator on his floor. He couldn't wait to get into his apartment and finally relax. Just as he reached out with his key, he froze and glanced at Nikko's door. He wondered if the teen was alright. He probably was. But Takafumi had to make sure. Besides, he should at least return the favour – Nikko had gone out of his way to check on him yesterday.

With that thought Takafumi walked determinedly to the dark door and knocked on it. A minute later Nikko opened it and the older man thought his eyes were slightly red. But he couldn't be sure, since the boy's bangs concealed his eyes almost entirely.

- Yokozawa-san? – Nikko exclaimed slightly surprised.

- I just wanted to see how you were. – Takafumi explained a bit awkwardly, suddenly realising that this behaviour made him look like some stalking pervert. – You looked kind 0f … troubled this morning and I wondered if maybe there was something I could do.

- Oh, no, I'm fine, sorry to have worried you. – Did his words sound sincere? - I'm grateful that you offered to help, Yokozawa-san, but I'm perfectly alright.

He smiled warmly at Takafumi, as if to reassure him even more. Still, Takafumi remained sceptical. He couldn't forget how the teen's voice had cracked, or how he practically ran away immediately after that.

- Have you had dinner yet? – He suddenly asked.

- No. – Nikko replied surprised at the question and sudden change of topic.

- Would you like to come to my place for dinner? – Great, now he totally didn't sound like a pervert. – I mean, it's alright if you don't want to. I just feel like we should get to know each other, seeing as we are neighbours and all…

He stopped talking, sensing that Nikko probably wasn't even listening. The teen was watching him intently; his face was a mix of emotions, some of which seemed – at least to Takafumi – completely out of place. There was surprise, naturally confusion and slight fear, then the older man noticed panic and then something which he couldn't distinguish – Nikko's face darkened and he bit his lower lip. Then he shuddered slightly.

- Look, if you're not comfortable, I apologize. – Takafumi said. – I realise it sounds weird to invite you just like that, but you really looked …

- I don't mind. – Nikko said quietly, interrupting him.

- Huh?

- I said I don't mind having dinner with you, Yokozawa-san. You're really nice to me. – The teen smiled.

- Well, ok. – Takafumi hadn't actually expected Nikko to accept. – Umm … however, I just got back from work and still haven't cooked…

- That's ok, I could help you. – Nikko replied chuckling and Takafumi was glad to see he looked much livelier now. – Should I bring something? – He added, looking towards his kitchen.

- Um, depends on what you want to eat. But I think I have everything in my fridge. – The older man said.

The two entered Takafumi's apartment and were greeted by Sorata. The cat meowed happily upon seeing Nikko, and Takafumi was sure he was expecting now a full bowl of milk. The teen kneeled and petted the animal gently.

- I have to give Sorata some food. – Takafumi said.

He went in the kitchen and Nikko followed him. Sorata was at the boy's heels, sensing that he would soon be receiving food. Nikko suggested he started on making dinner while Takafumi fed his cat. The two decided on a meal and Nikko started cutting up the vegetables. The older man watched him for a while, but at the moment the boy had a content expression on his face.

- Let me help you. – Takafumi suggested.

Forty minutes later they were sitting at the small dining table, eating in silence. It wasn't awkward, but still Takafumi desperately searched for something to say. He wanted to get to know Nikko better, after all, the teen was the only neighbour with whom Takafumi communicated.

- So … how was school today? – He couldn't think of anything better to say.

- It was nice. – Nikko replied. – And … uh … how was your work?

- Stressful, like always. – Takafumi was certain the teen had asked this out of politeness, since he didn't know what Takafumi's job was.

The man looked at Nikko's elated face and couldn't bring himself to ask him about that morning. The boy obviously had a lot on his mind and the last thing he needed at a time like this was a nosy neighbour. Takafumi flushed slightly at the last thought. He would never have imagined himself as being nosy.

- Were you born in Tokyo? – He asked.

- No, I'm from Okinawa. My family has lived there for generations. – Nikko replied.

- So … you are alone here in Tokyo? – The older man asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

Nikko shrugged.

- I had to leave my parents sooner or later. – He said.

- Yeah, but … what if something happened …

- Nothing will happen! – Nikko interrupted him loudly.

Takafumi stared at him. The teen now looked anxious, his cheeks were flushed, but the rest of his face had turned ghostly pale. His hands shook and his breathing was rapid. Nikko tried to relax and rubbed his cheeks, until his face regained its normal colour. He then took a deep breath.

- I'm sorry, Yokozawa-san, I didn't mean to snap like that. – He said quietly, looking down – Takafumi was sure he had tears in his eyes.

- It's alright. But Nikko, it's pretty obvious you have something troubling you. – Takafumi replied. - Now, I'll understand if you don't want to trust me, but I think you really need someone to help you with this.

- Yokozawa-san, at the moment I don't need assistance. – Nikko said firmly. – But thank you for offering to help nonetheless.

Takafumi sighed. Though, to be honest, he wouldn't trust anyone with his problems as well.

The rest of the evening went by normally. Nikko told Takafumi how he liked taking photos and drawing and said he wished to become a photographer or fashion designer. He also told the older man about his family – his parents owned a very popular restaurant in Okinawa. He was a single child, but he had never felt lonely because he had a lot of cousins.

Takafumi was glad to see Nikko was feeling more comfortable and relaxed and was talking freely. The two soon found a couple of topics which they could talk about and a couple of hours flew by unnoticed.

- Oh my god, it's so late! And I have school tomorrow! – Nikko exclaimed.

- Yeah, I have to get up early for work too. – Takafumi said. – Sorry, I should have paid more attention to the time.

- Don't apologize, I'm equally guilty. – Nikko smiled and got up. – I had a really nice time, Yokozawa-san.

- Yeah, me too. I'll see you to the door.

He stood and watched as Nikko went into his apartment. Then he sighed and closed the door. He turned and saw Sorata staring at him. He had the odd feeling that the cat was smirking at him, as if Takafumi was unaware of a joke regarding him.


	3. Chapter 3

AN - Just wanted to say I've been able to post this chapter and the previous two so quickly because they were already written and just needed a bit of editing, but sadly chapter four is only half-way done and needs serious altering. Also, I'll be having end-of-term exams the next two weeks (I'm a Law student), so I'll be quite busy with studying and generally freaking out. I'll try to at least finish and post chapter four, but I won't promise anything.

* * *

- Yokozawa-san …

Takafumi opened his eyes and saw Nikko was standing by his bed. He sat up, sleepily rubbing his eyes.

- It's the middle of the night. How did you get in, by the way?

Surprisingly, he didn't feel angry or nervous. It was as if Nikko's presence in his bedroom was completely natural.

- The door was unlocked. – The teen replied simply. – Anyway, you were right, Yokozawa-san.

- About what?

- I do have a problem. – Nikko was now on the bed, on his knees. – Can you help me with it?

- What is it? – Takafumi asked.

With one quick movement Nikko removed his own shirt. Takafumi reached out and caressed his delicate torso. His skin was so soft and warm. He could feel the teen's heartbeat and felt incredibly aroused. He wrapped his arms around the boy and pressed his body against his own. Nikko embraced him as well, and began kissing his neck passionately. Then he moved his hands to Takafumi's chest and unbuttoned the older man's shirt, revealing the older man's bare torso. The teen began to kiss and lick Takafumi's left nipple, occasionally biting and sucking it, while his hand played with the other. Takafumi let out a moan of pleasure, which caused Nikko to double his efforts. After a while Takafumi, now sweating and panting, grabbed Nikko and pushed him down on the bed. He rolled on top and kissed him passionately. Nikko's stifled moans, his trembling, hot body, his slim fingers, tracing Takafumi's spine – all of this filled the older man's mind with a red, fiery mist and he couldn't stop himself now even if he wanted to. His ears were filled with a loud ringing noise. A very, very loud and annoying noise … too loud to be real … or maybe it was real and everything else wasn't?

Takafumi gasped and opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling for a while, before reaching out and turning his alarm off. His whole body was sweaty and he was tightly wrapped in his sheets. Also, he could feel a slight discomfort a little below his waist … He groaned and rubbed his forehead. He had just had a wet dream … about an under-aged boy. What was wrong with him?

Takafumi slowly got out of bed. It had seemed so real … and so … right. But it wasn't! Besides, how could he even dream of anyone else when he was supposed to be in love with Masamune? But maybe that was the problem. Perhaps the troubled teen reminded him too much of his friend when the two had been in college, so Takafumi had subconsciously tried to replace Masamune with Nikko. Yeah, that made sense, although Takafumi still felt like a pervert.

After hastily going through his morning routine, Takafumi headed for work. He glanced at Nikko's door as he was waiting for the elevator, but luckily for him the teen had gone out before him. Takafumi realised how uncomfortable he would feel if he had to meet his neighbour directly after having such a disturbing dream. Takafumi sighed and headed for work, feeling utterly confused and uneasy.

As he entered the Marukawa building, he noticed Ritsu and Masamune standing by the elevator. He didn't want to share the tiny space with the two, so he stopped by the receptionists' desk and greeted the women. They greeted him back smiling, but Takafumi could see the confusion in their eyes. That was understandable, he rarely spoke to anyone at work unless he had to. He didn't recall ever greeting the receptionists before. Glancing at the elevator, he noticed that the two editors were still there, so he determinedly started a conversation about the weather. Accepting that the earth wasn't moving properly today, the two women loosened up and Takafumi was forced to listen to about ten minutes of carefree chattering.

When he finally stepped out on the third floor, he sighed with relief and thought bitterly that next time he should just go in the elevator with Masamune and Ritsu. He had no problem with women talking too much, but why did they have to pick such pointless topics?

Takafumi just thought that his day couldn't get any worse and suddenly his boss told him he had to go on a business trip outside of Tokyo. And for the whole weekend too! Of course, he would receive a bonus for his work, but that didn't exactly compensate for the loss of his only days off. Besides, that meant he had to find someone to take care of Sorata. Takafumi had two options, but he felt uncomfortable asking either Masamune or Nikko.

When he went home that evening, he still hadn't decided what to do. Sorata couldn't be left alone for a whole weekend. It would be more convenient to ask Nikko to take care of him – the teen wouldn't mind and he lived just across the hall. But Takafumi was scared of seeing him – he hadn't forgotten that dream he had had. He decided to leave Sorata with Masamune, after all, his friend was the cat's first owner. Just as Takafumi flipped his phone open to call the editor, he caught sight of Sorata watching him with a sad expression, as if trying to tell him not to do this. He sighed. Obviously somehow Sorata had grown attached to Nikko and wanted to stay with him.

He went to the teen's apartment and knocked on the door. The teen opened it a minute later. Takafumi was about to greet him when he froze with his mouth open. Nikko was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with a dark blue tie and black shorts, along with long striped black and blue stockings which went a little above his knees.

- Hi, Yokozawa-san. – The teen greeted cheerfully.

- What the hell? Is that your school uniform? – Takafumi asked bewildered.

- Without the socks. But I think it's a nice touch. – Nikko replied with a shrug.

Takafumi said nothing. What kind of an idiot would design such a high-school uniform for boys? Moreover, it was February, it was still cold! Things had certainly changed since Takafumi had finished school and the man was extremely glad his High school uniform had been normal.

- Did you need something? – Nikko asked.

- Umm, yeah … it turns out I'll be away on the weekend, and you said that you wouldn't mind taking care of Sorata. I'll understand if you don't want to or are too busy …

- No, I'd really love it. – Nikko interrupted him cheerfully. – I really like cats.

- That's good then. – Takafumi said. – I thought that it would be too much of a hassle to bring him and all his stuff here, so how about I give you my spare key for the weekend?

- Oh – the teen was a bit surprised at this – I guess if you're ok with it …

- Don't worry, you won't find any dead bodies hidden in the fridge. – Takafumi joked, remembering an urban legend one of his co-workers had told him a while ago.

Nikko chuckled.

- Ok, so I'll leave on Friday evening and will probably get back on Sunday afternoon, if everything goes as planned. – Takafumi explained as he handed Nikko a small metal key. – Sorata won't give you any trouble; just make sure he constantly has at least dry cat food in his bowl. And you should refill his water bowl every day with fresh water. His vet ID card is in the drawer of the night stand in my bedroom, if anything should happen, call the number on the card.

- Alright. – Nikko nodded with a smile. – You really seem to care about Sorata a lot. – He commented.

- Well, I've had him for a long time. – The older man said warmly. – Besides, I like cats. Thank you for taking care of him, I know it will be very inconveniencing for you …

- Don't worry about it. – Nikko grinned. – By the way would you like to come in, Yokozawa-san? We've been standing here for some time now.

- Oh, no, no, thanks! – Takafumi quickly said. – I should get back home, Sorata is still waiting for his dinner. – He lied.

- Oh well, then, you shouldn't keep him waiting. – Nikko giggled.

Takafumi returned in his apartment and was greeted by Sorata. He smiled at his pet, assuring him that indeed Nikko would be the one to take care of him. He was glad the teen had agreed, he knew how uncomfortable he would have felt if he had to ask Masamune for this. Even though Sorata was in fact his, Takafumi realised he should limit his contact with his friend for a while, at least until his broken heart had begun to heal.

- Let's go somewhere for the weekend. – Masamune suggested calmly.

It was Saturday morning. A few moments earlier Onodera Ritsu had opened his door to see who was ringing the doorbell and was greeted by that question. He growled in annoyance.

- I have work I brought home for the weekend. I can't go anywhere. – He replied.

- You can take it with you. – His neighbour insisted. – Come on, a change of air and scenery would do you good. Maybe you'll even stop being so grumpy and finally confess your love for me.

- Don't say such things here! – Ritsu exclaimed blushing. – The neighbours will hear you. Besides, you can't go anywhere this weekend, right?

- Huh? Why do you say that?

- You have to take care of your cat, don't you? – The green-eyed man asked.

- What?

- Didn't you say that Yokozawa-san always gives you Sorata when he's away? – Ritsu inquired. – I heard yesterday that he was sent on a business trip for the weekend so I figured you must be taking care of the cat now.

- I'm not. Sorata isn't here. – Masamune replied. – I didn't even know Yokozawa would be away this weekend.

- Oh … - Ritsu muttered. – But I'm sure he must have left him with someone. Yokozawa-san wouldn't do something so thoughtless as to leave a cat alone for the whole weekend. – He added quickly, seeing his boss's worried expression.

- Yeah, you're right … - Masamune muttered. – So… where should we go?

- Uwah!

- Once again, thank you for taking care of Sorata. – Takafumi said for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

It was now Sunday evening and he and Nikko were in the teen's apartment. Takafumi had returned later than expected, and Nikko had invited him to dinner at his place, seeing that the older man didn't even have time to go buy groceries.

- I already told you, Yokozawa-san, it was my pleasure. – Nikko smiled softly. - Sorata is a really wonderful cat. Plus, he's easy to take care of. My grandmother used to have a Persian cat named Yamato. She was really, really troublesome. She would never eat store-bought food, you had to cook for her specially, she had a special spot in every room and if that spot was moved or anything she refused to even enter the room until everything was back the way it suited her. If she wasn't in the mood, she wouldn't let anyone touch her. But still, I loved that cat. She was very beautiful too – with long, fluffy white fur and orange eyes.

- You really seem to love cats. – Takafumi commented with a smile. – I suppose you wanted to have a cat when you were a child.

- That was actually my second wished-for pet. I really wanted to own a dragon.

They both laughed at this.

- I really like fantasy books. – Nikko confessed. – I wanted to be a wizard when I grew up.

- Why? – Takafumi asked curiously.

- I don't remember the exact reason. I was five at the time, so I believe it was something along the lines of 'to make things go Boom!'

Again, Takafumi chuckled. There was something very relaxing about Nikko. Takafumi wasn't even half as tired as he had felt merely an hour ago.

- Thanks for the dinner, by the way. – The older man said.

- Don't mention it. – Nikko said smiling.

Takafumi was extremely relieved to see Nikko was acting cheerfully. He had spent most of the weekend worrying about the teen, and hoping that taking care of Sorata would distract the boy from his problems. He was also scared that something might happen to Nikko – he didn't know what, but he had a strong suspicion that the boy was expecting some trouble. But now, as Takafumi watched Nikko joke and laugh, he finally felt at peace. Whatever was about to happen, the older man swore, Nikko wasn't going to face it alone.

Takafumi yawned loudly as he stepped out on the third floor. As he had woken up earlier that morning, he clearly felt the missed weekend taking its toll on him. He went to his desk and turned his laptop on, lazily going through his e-mails. There were quite a few, having accumulated over the two days he had been away.

He had to present his report by the end of the day, and he hadn't even started writing it. Takafumi sighed and suddenly wondered what Nikko was doing. The teen was probably at school right now … No, actually, he had mentioned last evening that today was a special holiday for his school and there would be no classes.

Even though a few days had passed, Takafumi was still shaken by that dream. He hadn't had another, thankfully, but he still felt extremely bad whenever he thought about it. And he couldn't seem to forget it! Usually, most of his dreams would have disappeared from his mind mere hours after waking up, but this one was as fresh as ever. He still wondered why exactly he had dreamt such a perverted thing.

- Yokozawa.

Takafumi looked up and saw Masamune. He sighed quietly.

- What is it, Masamune? I'm very busy right …

- Why didn't you tell me you would be away this weekend?

Takafumi stared at him. His friend didn't look angry or anything like that, but he clearly seemed curious.

- I simply have forgotten. – Takafumi replied calmly.

- But then who took care of Sorata? – His friend inquired. – I trust you didn't leave him alone for the weekend.

- A neighbour of mine. – Takafumi said shortly. – It was more convenient that way. And Sorata seems to like him.

Masamune raised his eyebrows in surprise. He clearly recalled Takafumi complaining a while ago about his neighbours being much older than him. His friend had told him that the only interaction that occurred between him and his neighbours was the occasional greeting whenever they met in the hallways. This was the first time Masamune heard anything about a friendly neighbour. He smiled lightly at Takafumi.

- What are you smiling about? – Takafumi asked suspiciously, knowing his friend's devilish character all too well.

- I was just thinking about something. – Masamune replied. – So, that neighbour of yours, does he like taking care of Sorata?

- He does. – Takafumi nodded and immediately realised why his friend was grinning. – No! It's nothing like that. – He said hastily. – We are just neighbours and nothing more.

- For now. – Masamune muttered, teasing.

- Takano! Stop saying such stupid things! – A blushing Takafumi scolded. – Now, please leave. I have work to do.

'For now…'

- Gah! – Takafumi exclaimed as he shook his head.

Masamune didn't know what he was talking about. His friend had no idea that Nikko was merely a teenager; otherwise he wouldn't have said such stupid things. Well, he hadn't said them, but he most certainly had implied it very strongly. Takafumi was annoyed at this. He couldn't shake the feeling that maybe Masamune wanted him to find someone to be with just so that he could stop feeling guilty about hurting him.

Takafumi realised, of course, that it would be much easier to forget his feelings if he were in a relationship, but he couldn't imagine himself being with someone while still loving somebody else. It just wasn't something he would do.

Besides, there weren't any available … candidates. Takafumi still wasn't certain what his sexuality was – was he gay, or straight? Or perhaps bi? In any case, there weren't any men or women with whom he could begin a relationship.

Takafumi mentally listed all of his acquaintances. Almost everyone he had met for the last five or six years were somehow involved with his work – they were either colleagues, or editors, or publishers, or authors or book store managers.

Takafumi thought about his friends – the people with whom he had at least once interacted outside of work. Of course, Masamune was the first person to come in mind, but sadly, he was unavailable. Then there was Henmi, his subordinate. Takafumi chuckled, imagining his reaction if he asked him out. That would be amusing to see. But he had no interest in going out with him. There were older friends – former classmates, his college workgroup. But they were all married now, and most of them even had children.

Yes, most people his age were already settled, with family and a career. And what was Takafumi doing? He sighed. His own thoughts had managed to depress him.

There was a knock on his door. He went to see who it was.

- Oh, hi, Nikko. – He greeted.

- Hello, Yokozawa-san. – The teen smiled warmly – he was once again wearing his school uniform. - Sorry to disturb you, but I forgot to return you your spare key yesterday. I'm really sorry, I know I should have, but it slipped my mind.

- Oh, no problem. – Takafumi calmed him down. – I forgot about it too.

Nikko handed him the key. The older man wondered if he should let him keep his key, so that he could come to him whenever he had problems … just like in his dream…

- Thank you. – Takafumi said and took the key.

He watched Nikko leave and his eyes lingered to the line of flesh on the teen's thighs which wasn't covered by his socks or shorts. He gritted his teeth, trying not to imagine how soft his skin would be. Why … why the hell did he feel this way?


	4. Chapter 4

AN - So, here's chapter four. The ending's a bit off, but it was the best I could think of, since I still have 3 more exams left. Also, I've kept the age difference between Nikko and Takafumi a bit vague, since I'm not very sure how old Takafumi is. I thought he was about 28, but I've seen on a number of sites that he is actually 30 ... In any case, the age difference is quite big.

* * *

Weeks passed. Nikko and Takafumi spent most of their evenings together, usually at Takafumi's apartment, because the teen loved playing with Sorata. They would have dinner and then spend the better part of the evening talking.

Takafumi had noticed that despite Nikko's usual cheerfulness there were times when the teen would quiet down, avert his eyes and bite his lips. He had inquired about this strange behaviour a couple of times, but his neighbour would just smile and assure the older man that he was in fact fine.

Takafumi wasn't sure why, but it was now easier for him to be around Masamune and Ritsu. He didn't feel so miserable and could talk freely with them, as if his friend had never rejected him. The editor-in-chief had also noticed this change and often teased him, explaining everything with his neighbour, which somehow annoyed Takafumi very much. He still hadn't told him that Nikko was sixteen. He wasn't sure he wanted to; after all, it was none of Masamune's business.

One evening at the end of March Masamune and Takafumi were heading out of the Marukawa building. It was already dark outside.

- You going straight home? – Masamune asked.

- Yeah.

- Don't want your neighbour to be waiting for you, huh? – His friend grinned.

- Shut up! – Takafumi snapped irritated.

He was surprised to discover that he was even more annoyed because that evening Nikko wouldn't be waiting for him, as he had to meet with his Arts club. They had been caught up with an arts project for about a week now. The teen had told Takafumi that their meetings usually lasted until quite late in the evening, because they couldn't agree on even the smallest point.

The two men stepped out of the elevator and headed towards the exit. Because it was so late, the entrance hall was empty and the receptionists' desks were unoccupied. Suddenly, a figure appeared behind the glass double doors. A second later a skinny teenage boy ran into the building and quickly hid behind the receptionists' desk. He crouched there, burying his face in his palms, shaking uncontrollably.

- I've been working here for a year and a half and still this company continues to surprise me. – Masamune spoke up.

Takafumi didn't answer. He just stood there with his mouth open, staring at Nikko's curled up form. A second later, when he was certain he hadn't imagined it, he strode quickly to the teen and kneeled down. He softly placed his hand on his head, causing the boy to gasp and look up sharply. Tears were beginning to form in his blue eyes.

- Yokozawa-san! – Nikko exclaimed and suddenly leapt forward and hugged the older man.

Takafumi glanced at Masamune as he wrapped his arms around the frail, trembling body. Nikko had started to sob, while resting his head on Takafumi's shoulder.

Masamune neared the two, still in quite a shock.

- Nikko, what is going on? – Takafumi asked.

Even though he hated himself for thinking such things, deep down Takafumi was pleased that for once Nikko wouldn't be able to escape with a measly 'I'm fine.' The teen didn't answer, however, he just lifted his head and slowly peaked out from behind the desk, looking at the street through the front door. Takafumi and Masamune also looked that way. The street appeared to be completely empty.

- Was … was somebody following you? – Takafumi asked.

Nikko nodded and tears started rolling down his cheeks again. Takafumi felt he was beginning to panic. He had never seen the teen so distressed before and he had no idea how to calm him. He just squeezed him tightly and looked at Masamune for support. He saw the question in his friend's eyes. He sighed, knowing some explanations were in order.

- This is my neighbour, Hirohata Nikko. – He said, hoping the editor would just leave it at that.

Masamune was clearly shocked by this. Meanwhile Takafumi was surprised to discover that his hands had started rubbing Nikko's back in circular motion, acting on their own accord. But seeing as it was helping, he didn't cease his actions.

- Who was following you? – He asked when the trembling slowed down again.

- He was. – Nikko replied quietly.

- Who? – The older man asked frowning.

- Kuroda Masato. – The teen whispered. – He … he was my teacher in Elementary school. When I was eight he … - a whimper escaped from his lips – he … he raped me…

Takafumi widened his eyes. He instinctively pressed Nikko's body harder against his own, squeezing him tightly and trying to wrap his entire being around the fragile teenager, protecting him from everything. He would have never guessed that Nikko had suffered so much.

- Why isn't that guy in jail then? – Masamune suddenly asked – his voice was slightly trembling and it was obvious the news had shaken him as well.

- He was. – Nikko said quietly. – But he was released for good behaviour.

- Is that why you moved to Tokyo? – Takafumi asked gently.

The teen nodded. Takafumi squeezed him one more time and glanced outside. The street was still empty.

- There doesn't appear to be anyone outside. Let's take you home. – He said, getting up, still holding the sobbing boy.

- I'll come with you, just in case that man is hiding somewhere. – Masamune said.

- Thank you. – Takafumi muttered.

He took off his dark coat and wrapped it around Nikko. He knew that he would be cold, but at that moment he just didn't care. All he wanted was to make sure that Nikko was safe and to make the teen smile again.

Masamune suggested taking a taxi, and Takafumi agreed with him. Fifteen minutes later they were standing in Takafumi's living room. Nikko had tried to protest, but the two men had almost forcefully dragged him in, insisting that he shouldn't be left alone after such shock and panic.

- Here. – Takafumi handed Nikko a steaming cup of tea.

The teen was still wrapped in the older man's coat. He looked even smaller than usual. He was sitting on the sofa, and still looked quite shaken. He accepted the tea, murmuring a quiet thank you. Takafumi sat down beside him and gently hugged him.

- We'll go to the police tomorrow. – He said softly.

- They wouldn't believe me. – Nikko muttered. – Besides, what would they do?

Takafumi exchanged glances with Masamune. His friend just shook his head helplessly.

- How did he find out you were in Tokyo? – Takafumi wondered.

- I don't know. But he's a psychopath, so I'm sure he's found a way. – The teen replied.

He placed the empty cup on the coffee table and rested his head on Takafumi's shoulder, sighing and with closed eyes. Takafumi tightened his grip unconsciously and started stroking the teen's hair. He sensed Masamune was watching him and glanced at his friend. The editor was smiling the same way he did when he teased Takafumi about his neighbour. Takafumi stiffened – surely Masamune didn't still think there was something between him and Nikko, did he?

- I think I should go. – His friend spoke and got up.

He went to the two and ruffled Nikko's hair. Seeing this, Takafumi felt the urge to slap his hand away. But he remained still and with an even face.

- Don't worry, Nikko, you're in good hands now. – Masamune said.

- I know. – The teen managed a small smile.

- I'll see you to the door. – Takafumi said sharply.

- You don't need to. – Masamune protested.

- I insist.

The two men exited the apartment. Takafumi made sure the door was tightly closed before he turned to face his friend frowning.

- He is sixteen! – He scolded.

- But you like him, don't you? – Masamune asked.

- That doesn't matter! Besides, didn't you listen? He was raped by an older man. What makes you think he'd want a relationship with me?

- Because he needs someone by his side to protect him and take care of him, and right now you fit the profile perfectly. – Masamune said. – Also, I think you need him as well. Say what you will, but I don't think you would have been able to act so relaxed around me and Ritsu if it weren't for that boy.

Takafumi looked away, pressing a palm against his mouth. He felt his eyes were beginning to fill with tears.

- It's true that I like him a lot. – He finally whispered. - But I'd never tell him. What if he thinks I'm just like that man? – He sighed. – I should go back, I don't want to leave him alone for too long.

Masamune nodded.

- I'll come by tomorrow before work to see how you are doing, ok?

- Thank you.

When Takafumi returned to the living room, he noticed Nikko hadn't changed his position even slightly. The boy sat still curled up and wrapped in the older man's coat. He was staring somewhere into space. Sorata was by the teen, repeatedly scratching his side, asking for attention. Takafumi sighed and went to them. He gently pushed the cat away and sat down next to Nikko, hugging him. The teen looked at his neighbour – Takafumi could notice the small watery orbs in his eyelashes.

- Are you hungry? – He asked.

Nikko shook his head. It seemed as if he had forgotten how to speak properly. The older man observed him with concern. He could see the boy was paler than before, and that his eyes were darker, without their usual joyful sparks. Takafumi squeezed him tightly once more.

- It's getting late, you should sleep. It will take your mind off things. – He said gently.

Without waiting for an answer he picked Nikko up and carried him to the bedroom. He placed the teen on the bed and rummaged through his wardrobe, until he pulled out an old shirt. He gave it to the teen and left the room, allowing him to change in peace.

He was startled when a minute later Nikko opened the door, dressed in his shirt.

- I'll sleep on the sofa. – The teen said quietly.

- What? No. – Takafumi protested. – You think I'll let you sleep on my sofa?

He pushed the teen slightly forcefully back into his bedroom and made him sit on the bed. He placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, giving them a rather painful squeeze.

- You think that after such a shock I'd let you be even slightly uncomfortable? – The older man asked quietly.

Nikko stared at him. Even though he still looked traumatised, Takafumi could see the appreciation deep in the teen's blue eyes.

- Will you stay with me for the night? – Nikko whispered, looking down at his hands. – I … I don't want to be alone.

- If you want me to. I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable.

- I won't. – The teen mumbled.  
He lay on the bed and rolled to one side, waiting for the older man to join him. Takafumi didn't even bother changing into his PJs before doing so. He simply took his tie, belt and socks off and was left only in his shirt and pants. He lay down next to Nikko and pulled the cover on top of them. He felt the boy snuggling closer to him and hugging him. He liked the feeling of his hot breath against him.

- You know… - he muttered – it's weird that you trust me. I would have expected that you would avoid any contact with older men.

- Usually I do. – Nikko replied sleepily. – But … I don't know… I just feel safe with you, Yokozawa-san.

Takafumi smiled softly. Hearing that despite what had happened, Nikko still trusted him and sought comfort and protection from him made the older man incredibly happy.

He woke up earlier than usual on the next morning. After checking up on the sleeping teen beside him, Takafumi went to prepare breakfast. He was just laying the table when he heard the front door open and close and figured Masamune had come. Indeed, a second later his friend entered the kitchen, followed by, to Takafumi's slight annoyance, Onodera Ritsu.

- Morning. – Masamune greeted.

- Morning. – Takafumi nodded to Ritsu. – Why did you bring him? I believe Nikko would prefer it if less people knew about this.

The green-eyed man shifted uncomfortably, lowering his gaze and an embarrassed blush appearing on his face.

Masamune sighed and took his lover's hand, as if to encourage him. Takafumi turned his attention to the breakfast.

- By the way, I've only made breakfast for me and Nikko, so you'll have to starve. – He said rudely.

He didn't know why he was so irritated. Whenever he met Ritsu at work, he remained calm, especially those last couple of weeks.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was now meddling in his private life. Takafumi knew it was greedy and selfish of him, but he wanted to be the only one to take care of Nikko, and while he was somewhat willing to accept Masamune's help, he couldn't find a sensible explanation why his friend had brought his lover into this.

- That's ok, we've already eaten. – Masamune said calmly, unaffected by Takafumi's unusual rudeness towards him.

- Yokozawa-san, are you here … oh … - Nikko had entered the kitchen, still in Takafumi's shirt, rubbing his eyes sleepily, but had halted as he noticed there were other people there. – Uh … good morning… - He said rather shyly.

- Hey, how are you? – Masamune said smiling as he reached out and ruffled his hair.

Takafumi noticed the jealous glare Ritsu shot at Masamune and for once seemed to agree with the green-eyed editor. He suspected he had a similar look on his own face. He had noticed last night as well that he didn't like Masamune's behaviour towards Nikko. All those smiles and hair ruffling … Takafumi knew he had no actual reason to be jealous, but then again, jealousy rarely needed a reason.

- I'm fine. – Nikko replied awkwardly and moved slightly closer to Takafumi.

- You hungry? – Takafumi asked.

- No. – Nikko shook his head.

The older man frowned.

- You didn't eat dinner yesterday. – He pointed out sternly. – So you must be hungry. Even if you are still in too much of a shock to realise it, your body still needs some food.

He gently pushed the boy into a chair and placed a bowl of rice in front of him, somewhat hoping that he'd eventually have to feed the teen himself. To his mild disappointment Nikko started eating after a minute of staring at the food.

- Why are you here anyway? – Takafumi asked, turning to the two editors.

- I promised I'd come, didn't I? – Masamune said.

- Yes, but why are you here? – Takafumi asked.

- You think that after hearing the boy's story I would just go home and ignore it? – Masamune asked raising an eyebrow.

Takafumi just crossed his arms and glared at him. He was about to say something when Nikko suddenly spoke up.

- I appreciate that, honestly. But you shouldn't have gone out of your way for me – Yokozawa-san has already done so much to help me.

The teen was facing his neighbour's back, so he couldn't see the victorious grin that spread across Takafumi's face at his words. Nikko had just said he needed only him and no one else!

- Oh, and also … I don't even know who you are. – The teen added somewhat sheepishly.

- My name is Takano Masamune and this is Onodera Ritsu. We work in the same company as Yokozawa, but we are editors.

- Nice to meet you. I'm Hirohata Nikko.

Takafumi reached out and took the now empty bowl. He quickly went to wash it. He could clearly feel his annoyance rising. What did Masamune think he was doing? Just last night he was encouraging him to make a move on Nikko and now he was clearly undermining him. And in front of Ritsu, nonetheless!

- You don't have to help me, honestly. – he heard the teen protest. – Besides, I think you have to go to work soon.

- Yes, yes they do! – Takafumi quickly replied, glaring at the two editors.

- You have to go to work too! – Masamune reminded.

- I'll take a day off and stay to look after Nikko.

- Actually … I have to go to school in an hour… - The teen muttered.

- Huh? Wouldn't it be stressful? – Ritsu asked wide-eyed.

- Probably, but I can't miss classes. Besides, there is a meeting today about our arts project and I have to attend it. We just got things going!

- Oh. – Takafumi muttered disappointed. – Well, ok.

He glared at the two again and gestured them to get out. Masamune shook his head but Ritsu looked at him pleadingly and the editor-in-chief had no choice but to accept his defeat. The couple said their goodbyes and left. Takafumi made a mental note to confront his friend about his bizarre behaviour.

Nikko went back into the bedroom and emerged a couple of minutes later dressed in his clothes.

- I should go to my apartment now, Yokozawa-san. – He said. – I need to take a shower and prepare for school.

- Are you sure you want to go to school? – Takafumi asked.

- Yeah. At least it'd distract me from my thoughts. – Nikko replied.

- Ok, then. Call me if something happens, okay? Oh, and also …

The older man left the kitchen, but returned a minute later and handed Nikko a key.

- The spare key to my apartment. After you finish school, come here.

- Oh, no, no… - The teen protested, refusing to take the key. – I've caused you enough trouble already and I'm sorry for involving you into my own problems.

Takafumi went to the teen and grabbed his shoulders, squeezing them a bit too forcefully.

- Look, right now you are an ordinary sixteen-year-old , living alone in this enormous city, and you are most probably stalked by the person who raped you when you were a child. How do you expect me to just mind my own business? – He asked sternly.

Nikko slowly stepped back, looking away. He wrapped his arms around himself, trembling slightly. His blue eyes were beginning to fill with tears.

- That … person, he is a maniac. – He whispered. – During his first year in prison he constantly sent me threatening letters. But the officials thought I was safe, since he couldn't harm me from his cell. He … he won't give up until he finds me… and I'm afraid that he might hurts others … to get to me.

- Are you implying that I might be in danger? – Takafumi asked.

The teen nodded, his gaze still fixed on the floor.

- Ok, then! – Takafumi said determined. – If that man is clearly that fanatic, then that is another reason for me to protect you! – He wiped a tear sliding down Nikko's cheek and added dead serious. – I'll never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you.


	5. Chapter 5

AN - Ok, so my exams are finally over, so hopefully I'll be able to post new chapters more often. :)  
I'll have to warn you, though, that I'm not sure how the story will go on. I have a basic idea of how to continue the story, but seeing as I had written several different versions of this chapter before finally setting on this, I'm not so sure how the story will end. Don't worry, there will definitely be a happy ending. :D  
Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter! :)

* * *

Takafumi insisted on walking Nikko to his school. The teen protested, saying that he would be fine since it was daytime. His neighbour wasn't convinced, though. The older man knew that his protectiveness often exceeded normal limits, but he figured that it was better to be over-protective than to expose Nikko to any possible danger.

Takafumi also asked Nikko to call him the moment he returned home.

- I just want to make sure you're safe until I come home. – He explained seriously.

He waited until Nikko had entered the school building and sighed. He glanced around the street, but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. The teen had described what his rapist looked like and at the moment Takafumi couldn't see anyone like that around. He glanced at the school once again. He was worried. He had instructed the teen to either take a taxi home or be with a group at all times. Still, he felt insecure. He knew he had to be there to really feel that Nikko was safe.

When Takafumi finally got to the office, he was about thirty minutes late. He didn't care though. Probably for the first time in his life, work was not his top priority.

He could feel the glares of his co-workers on his back. They were obviously displeased that he had got away with being tardy by explaining his late arrival with a personal problem.

By early afternoon he was already ahead of the rest of his department, so Takafumi decided to take a little break. He stood up from his desk and set out to get some coffee in the lounge room.

As he entered, he saw Masamune, leaning on the wall, smoking. Takafumi frowned slightly, having been reminded about his friend's odd behaviour towards Nikko.

- Hi. – Masamune nodded.

- Hi. – Takafumi replied.

- How's the kid?

Takafumi growled lowly in his throat, clenching his jaw tightly. The kid? The kid? His irritation grew immensely.

- Nikko is at school right now. – He replied coldly. – He's still stressed, of course, but I hope he's going to get better.

His friend looked at him, frowning slightly.

- What's the matter with you? – He asked.

- Try to guess! – Takafumi snapped, turning his back to Masamune.

- What the hell are you talking about? – His friend shot back, getting annoyed as well.

- What are you aiming at? You already have someone you claim to love! What is it with all those touches and that hair ruffling? – Takafumi was by now out of his skin. – You already have Onodera, don't try to take Nikko away from me!

- Huh? Are you an idiot? I am not in love with your neighbour. – Masamune replied.

- I … uh … what? – Takafumi stuttered, taken aback.

- I am not in love with Nikko. – The editor-in-chief repeated. – But it's impossible not to feel some sympathy for the boy after hearing his story. Besides, he reminds me somewhat of Ritsu when we were in high school. I like him, but not in any sexual way or anything like that. – He looked at Takafumi serious. – I'm in love with Ritsu.

- I … really? – Takafumi's anger had died down and now his voice sounded desperate.

- Yes. Jeez, I never imagined that you'd consider me a rival in love. I even brought Ritsu with me to show you that you have nothing to worry about. – Masamune smirked. – You really have some obsession problem.

- Shut up. – Takafumi muttered embarrassed.

Now after the problem had cleared up he felt incredibly dense. Once again his irrational jealousy had made a fool out of him!

- I'm sorry. – He said, looking down.

- It's alright. – Masamune smiled a bit sadly. – Now I know why Ritsu was always so stressed out every time you confronted him. You can be really scary, you know?

- Yeah… - Takafumi muttered.

- You don't have to worry though. The kid likes you.

- Yeah right! – Takafumi chuckled bitterly.

- He does. – Masamune said seriously. – He wouldn't trust you so much, he wouldn't place his safety in your hands unless he felt anything for you.

- I guess, but … it's sick, isn't it? A man my age, having feelings for a sixteen-year-old …

His friend didn't answer immediately. He silently finished his cigarette and crushed the remains in the ash tray before speaking.

- To be honest, normally I would consider such a thing abnormal, even perverted. And Nikko does have a history of bad luck with older men. But when it's you … I know it's real love, and not some perverted attraction or lust. I'm not saying that the way you love is flawless – you easily get jealous, you tend to be quite possessive, but … well, there are worse things. – Masamune smiled lightly. – I'm sure that if you and Nikko got together, there will be people who would object to your relationship. But just know that there will also be people who would support you. People like me and Ritsu.

- Thank you. – Takafumi muttered.

At that moment his phone rang. Takafumi took it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. It was Nikko. The man immediately felt relieved, knowing that if the teen was able to call him, then he was alright.

- Yes, Nikko? – He said, answering the call.

- Hi, Yokozawa-san. You told me to call you when I'm home so … uh, yeah, I'm home.

- Good, I'm glad. Everything's alright with you then?

- Yeah. – Despite his words, Nikko sounded nervous. – Umm, Yokozawa-san?

- Yes?

- Um, can I go to your place? I know you said that I could this morning, but I thought I should ask you anyway. Don't worry, nothing bad has happened. I just … feel safer there.

- Of course. – Takafumi replied, hoping the teen wouldn't realise from his voice that he was grinning like a madman. – You needn't have asked, you know I'd have no problem with it.

- I thought I should still ask you. – Nikko repeated shyly. – Well, I'll see you this evening then. Oh, and sorry for bothering you while at work.

- It's ok, I am on a break now. – The older man said. – See you later.

He hung up, but continued to stare at the phone screen.

- You know, you look really creepy when you're grinning like that.

Takafumi had completely forgotten that Masamune was in the room. He thought how odd that was, that just the thought of Nikko was able to replace his work and his closest friend, and heal his wounded heart. The kid truly was incredible!

- You look like a schoolgirl who just got a text from her crush. – His friend continued.

- Something like that, yeah. – Takafumi replied distractedly .

One sentence was spinning in his head. 'I feel safer there.' He was sure he hadn't misheard or imagined the teen's words. His grin widened even more. What if Masamune was right and Nikko really had feelings for him? Would the teen be able to confess those feelings to himself and to Takafumi or would his troubled past stop him from doing so? Takafumi sighed. Everything was so complicated! And his over-thinking didn't help at all.

- How do you manage it? – He asked bitterly. – How do you manage to stay sane while in love?

- Well, you don't, on the whole. However, luckily for us - Masamune grinned – being sane isn't compulsory in love.

Takafumi couldn't wait to finish work and get home. He wanted desperately to see Nikko, to actually witness with his own eyes that the teen really was fine. His anxiety was so evident that his co-workers didn't dare to even near him, fearful that he might lash out at them.

Finally, he had finished work and was able to go home. Now that he was close to seeing the teenage boy, Takafumi felt that everything was moving slower than usual, as if to ridicule him. The train was delayed, over-packed and moving slower. The traffic lights seemed to take longer to turn green and upon entering his apartment building, Takafumi was confronted by an elderly lady, obviously a resident, and was forced to engage in a ten-minute-long awkward conversation. Apparently the woman had confused Takafumi with another young man from the building, as she sourly asked him to tell his 'young lady who always visited him late at night' to be quiet while in the hallway. After Takafumi finally managed to explain that the woman was in confusion, he was made to promise that he would take care that his female companions didn't disturb the neighbours.

Satisfied and victorious, the old lady finally allowed Takafumi to go home. Relieved, he pushed the elevator button and eagerly waited, cursing at his bad luck.

When he finally entered his apartment, he called out Nikko's name. No one replied. Not even Sorata had come to greet him. With fear rising in his chest and a lead ball settled in his stomach, he dropped the plastic bags – he had bought some products to cook dinner for the two after he had left the office – and stepped farther into the apartment. Takafumi entered the living room and sighed with relief as he saw Nikko, lying on the sofa, soundly asleep, resting on his right cheek. Sorata had curled up on the lower part of his back, either asleep or simply resting.

Takafumi smiled at the sight. He returned to the hallway and took the plastic bags, and then took them to the kitchen. He opened the fridge to put the products in and frowned slightly. He clearly didn't recall having half the stuff that were in there at the moment. He was also certain that the fridge was emptier that morning.

He returned to the living room and kneeled on the floor besides the sleeping teen. He hadn't been able to observe Nikko's sleeping face last night because of the darkness, but now he could. Now he could see that Nikko had long, almost girly eyelashes. The older man's eyes traced the lines of the teen's face, his cheeks, his smooth jaw line, his thin lips were slightly parted. He suddenly noticed that Nikko had freckles on his nose. They were just slightly darker than his skin, so they could only be seen from a close distance. But now that Takafumi could see that, he realised that this was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his entire life. The man smiled and gently shook the teen by his shoulder. A few moments later Nikko grunted softly and started to wake up.

- Hmm, Yokozawa-san? – He said sleepily and suddenly, wide awake, he sat up, causing Sorata to jump away from his back. – You're home! Oh, no! I was planning on making dinner before you came home. I even bought the products. I must have dozed off… oh no …

- It's alright. – Takafumi smiled. – How have you been? – He noticed a small pile of book and notebooks beside the sofa. – Your homework?

- Huh? Oh, yeah …

- You don't have any problems with your homework, do you?

- Well, I have problems learning dates in History, and I absolutely cannot understand Chemistry, but I don't think it's something that can't be overcome. – Nikko replied smiling. – I'll just have to study a bit harder.

- Well, I wasn't good in Chemistry, but I found History quite interesting, so if you need help, you can always ask me. – Takafumi said.

- Thanks. – The teen smiled, then got up. – I'll go prepare dinner. I was thinking about curry.

- Sounds good. – Takafumi also straightened up. – I'll help you.

- Oh, no, I can manage on my own. – Nikko protested. – You've been at work the whole day and you must be tired. You should relax.

- No, I'm fine. – The older man insisted. – Besides, you are a guest at my home, it's not appropriate for me to just stand by idly while you cook dinner.

Without waiting for an answer, he strode into the kitchen. Nikko followed immediately, and entered the room just in time to see Takafumi taking out vegetables from the fridge. He was about to offer to split the tasks when he felt Sorata brushing against his legs. Seeing that it had the teen's attention, the cat ceased its actions and sat down, staring at the teen.

- Umm … Sorata …?

- Oh, he's hungry. – Takafumi replied. – Can you give him some food. It's in that cupboard.

Nikko nodded and opened said cupboard. He was feeling a bit uncertain, because usually Takafumi fed the cat. The only time when he had fed the animal was when he had to take care of it for the weekend. The teen saw several different types of canned and dried cat food. He knew that Sorata had no preferences when it came to food and would eat everything that was put in its bowl. But he knew that usually Takafumi gave him canned food in the evening. So he grabbed a can of rabbit-flavoured food, opened it and poured its content in the empty bowl. Sorata immediately began eating. Nikko knew the cat was a fast eater and he had often asked Takafumi if it was wise to allow him to eat a whole can of food in less than five minutes. His neighbour had agreed that he should watch over his pet more carefully, but he confessed with a bitter smile that he couldn't bring himself to stop the cat from eating.

- Sorata just seems so happy, you know. – He always said.

Nikko smiled lightly at the sight of the eating cat. Then he took out the curry powder and began on preparing the mix for dinner. Takafumi observed him secretly. He wasn't doing this only because he was looking for signs of stress or fear. Now he was also watching the teen's face, his delicate fingers, his small torso, moving along as Nikko was stirring. The older man realised he loved the way Nikko's chest rose with his breathing, the way his bangs covered his eyes – not enough to disturb his vision – and the way his tongue ran over his thin lips when they were dry. Takafumi was so captivated by the teen that he ultimately forgot that he was cutting vegetables.

- Ow!

- Yokozawa-san, are you okay? – Nikko noticed the blood dripping from his neighbour's finger. – Oh, no! You need to disinfect that. Where do you keep your first-aid kit?

- Bathroom. But I'll take care of it, don't worry. You needn't get so worked up, it's just a cut. I should have been more careful.

But Nikko had already darted out of the kitchen. Less than a minute later he returned, holding the first-aid kit in his hand. He set it on the kitchen table and opened it, motioning to Takafumi to come closer. He gently took the older man's hand – Takafumi hoped desperately the teen wouldn't sense his rising heartbeat – and pressed a cotton swab on the cut, apologizing for the pain he was causing him. Then, when the blood flow had slowed down, the teen disinfected the wound and put a plaster on it.

- Thanks. – Takafumi said. – I hope the cut would have started healing by tomorrow. I'd look very silly with this on my finger at work.

- It's almost unnoticeable. – Nikko replied. – Plasters are supposed to be. But I think that stain on your shirt is far more noticeable.

- What?

The teen pointed at his left sleeve and upon looking down, Takafumi noticed a few small circles of blood at the end of his sleeve. They were small, but since his shirt was light blue, the blood was much distinct.

- You should soak it in vinegar. – Nikko advised.

- I will. – Takafumi nodded. – Can you finish making dinner on your own?

- Yeah, don't worry.

Takafumi went to his bedroom where he changed clothes. He carefully examined all of his clothing, and to his relief found out that there was only blood on his left sleeve. He took his shirt and returned to the kitchen. Nikko was at that time just putting the pot on the stove and Takafumi could already smell the delicious, mouth-watering aroma.

- Sorry for making such a fuss about a simple cut. – Takafumi said a bit embarrassed.

- Oh, it was no problem. I'm just glad it wasn't a more serious cut. – The teen replied with a sweet smile. – You need help with cleaning the blood?

- No, I got it.

When everything was settled, the two finally sat down and began eating dinner. Takafumi always enjoyed the evenings he got to have dinner with Nikko, he liked the warm, comfortable, domestic atmosphere. There was no place for comparison with is life before meeting the teen, when Takafumi mostly ate microwave dinners alone with his cat, in complete silence. The older man had only just recently realised how miserable his life had been.

- Yokozawa-san? – Nikko spoke up.

- Hmm? – The older man looked from his plate. He noticed the teen looked somewhat nervous. – Is something wrong?

- Can I ask you something personal? It's ok if you don't want to answer.

- What is it? – Takafumi asked, curiosity beginning to eat at him.

- Have you ever been in love?

Takafumi coughed, having choked on his food. He kept his gaze down, his thoughts racing. Nikko's question, obviously asked with no malicious intent, triggered a flow of memories – most of them unpleasant. Why would the teen ask such a question? Moreover, what should Takafumi answer?

- Why … why do you ask? – He needed to know Nikko's reason before he decided what to answer.

- I was just wondering what it felt like, you know … to be in love. – Nikko explained shyly. – I mean … after the … incident … I haven't dated anyone. And not because I didn't want to, I really wanted to have a normal teen life, you know – going to parties, on dates… but I haven't been attracted to anyone. I don't think I've ever even had a crush. I'm afraid that I'll never fall in love. So, I just wanna know what I'm missing out on.

- You can't talk like that. – Takafumi said. – You're still sixteen, you know. Teenagers mostly have crushes, not loves. For example, I fell in love in university… - He stopped abruptly, feeling a tinge of sadness.

- So what is it like? – Nikko repeated.

- Well, - Takafumi shrugged – I suppose that it can the most wonderful experience in your life … provided your love is returned, of course.

- Oh … - The teen frowned sadly. – So you have been…? – He tactfully didn't finish the sentence.

- Yeah, I got burned. – Takafumi nodded with a bitter smile. – The person I was in love with told me they loved somebody else. But now, as I look back, I think that I should have known all along that I had no chance.

He hadn't talked with anyone about his feelings to Masamune before. It was liberating to some extent, and Takafumi thought it was fitting that the person who was hearing this was his current love interest.

- Don't say that. – Nikko said softly. – I'm sure that you have had an equal chance with the other person.

- It doesn't matter anymore. Anyway, what I wanted to say is that sometimes it takes some time for you to meet someone you'd fall in love with. So, don't give up, okay?

- Yeah, I guess some people just don't have good luck in love. But I guess not everyone can have the perfect relationship like those two friends of yours.

- Huh? – Takafumi blinked.

- I'm talking about Takano-san and Onodera-san. I mean, it's kind of obvious that they are a couple. Didn't you know?

- They aren't exactly a couple. – The older man replied. – And to be honest, I'm a bit surprised you found that out just by observing them.

- Well, it was kind of obvious that the two have feelings for each other. So I guessed that they were together. – The teen said.

Takafumi smiled. He felt proud that Nikko was so observant, and also, a bit relieved. He had been slightly scared that the teen could have misinterpreted Masamune's actions towards him, and feared that he'd either feel stressed by it … or he might like it.

- You sure are perceptive. – Takafumi stated.

- It was just a lucky guess. – The teen said, looking away and blushing slightly.

So cute, the older man thought fondly. He watched the slightly pink tints on Nikko's cheeks and felt the urge to give him a quick peck. He experienced this often when he was around Nikko. He would often have this unexpected and completely uncharacteristic desires to kiss or touch the teen. He would never do anything, though, as he felt that Nikko would be uncomfortable with it.

- I'll tell Masamune tomorrow that you've figured out his little secret and tell him to be more discreet. – Takafumi continued to tease, knowing it would make the teen blush more intensely.

- Oh, no, don't. – Nikko protested.

Takafumi chuckled. The teen really was cute when he was worked up!


	6. Chapter 6

AN - Ok, first of all a warning - Takafumi is very OOC here. Also, I finished this chapter about 5 minutes ago, and it's the middle of the night here, so it might not exactly be my masterpiece.  
Enjoy! :)

* * *

Takafumi convinced Nikko to stay with him longer. He even cleared some space in his wardrobe, so that the teen could place some of his clothes there, instead of going to his own apartment every time he wanted to change his outfit. Nikko agreed to this, but on the condition that he would sleep on the sofa.

Despite that, the boy still felt very uncomfortable with it. He didn't like the thought of being a freeloader, even though the older man constantly assured him that he didn't mind. The teen tried to compensate this by doing housework and cooking the meals. Takafumi tried to tell Nikko that he didn't have to act like he was a servant, but seeing as he often had to work until late in the night, he found out he didn't mind returning home to a tidy, clean apartment and a ready meal.

During their first weekend of living together Nikko suggested they invited Masamune and Ritsu for dinner. He was still under the impression that the two were Takafumi's close friends. The older man couldn't bring himself to explain the reality to the teen, so he agreed. Surprisingly, that evening turned out to be quite pleasant. Since the four loved reading, they spent most of the time discussing the books they've read. Takafumi was surprised to find out that despite the fact that Ritsu's personality clashed with his own, he was still able to carry out a normal conversation with him. After the two editors had left, Takafumi contemplated that if he could set aside his former rivalry with Ritsu, the two could actually become good acquaintances.

The shadow Nikko's rapist and stalker had casted on their everyday lives had not disappeared. Takafumi still walked Nikko to his school every morning. The two had to wake up earlier than necessary to ensure that both would be on time, but none of them complained about the inconvenience. The older man also expected Nikko to call him the moment he returned home. He didn't allow the teen to go anywhere after dark. Even though a week had passed without any incident, Takafumi kept his guard high up, just in case.

One day, a week after Nikko had run into the two men in the Marukawa building, Takafumi had just returned to the office after making his rounds when his mobile phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and saw it was Nikko. Thinking that the teen was just calling him to inform him that he was safely home, he answered the call.

- Yokozawa-san?

Takafumi froze. The teen's voice was quivering and was laced with terror and fear. He quickly turned and walked out in the hallway, so that he couldn't be overheard by his co-workers.

- What is it, Nikko? Where are you? – He tried to remain calm, but he could feel his own voice trembling as well.

- I'm at school. He … he's waiting for me. I saw him out of a window. I'm afraid to go out. – Nikko was by now sobbing frantically.

Takafumi looked at his watch. It was about 2.30 p.m. Nikko's school closed at four, and the teen could not stay in there forever anyway.

- Stay there, I'm coming to get you. – He said determined.

- Ok. Please hurry!

Takafumi quickly returned to his desk and gathered his belongings. He hastily explained that he had to take the afternoon off, but that he would be available on the phone if anything came up. Then he ran to the elevator and out of the building. Taking a taxi, he ordered the driver to stop a little farther from the school. As he got out, he noticed a man standing about ten feet away from the school gates. He was about as tall as Takafumi, but was skinnier than him. His dark auburn hair was long and messy, pulled in a ponytail. He was dressed in jeans, a dark grey hoodie and a baseball cap.

Takafumi headed for the entrance, trying to remain inconspicuous, so that the man wouldn't notice him. He had barely stepped in the building when Nikko ran to him and hugged him tightly. The boy must have seen him arriving from a window. His small face was ghostly pale. Takafumi squeezed the frightened teen tightly.

- It's okay, it's okay. I'm here now. – He murmured.

He glanced at the street again. The man was still standing there.

- Should we call a taxi to get home? – Nikko asked.

- I don't think that's a good idea. He might follow us and find out where you live. – At those words the teen shuddered and whimpered. – We should go to the police. Come.

He led Nikko out of the school and the two headed to the nearest police department. The teen was clinging to Takafumi's arm and was still trembling. The older man risked to look behind and noticed they were followed. He sighed.

- He's following us, isn't he? – Nikko asked quietly.

- Yeah. – Takafumi nodded. – But don't worry, he won't do anything to you.

He wished he were more certain in his last statement. However, if that man wasn't afraid of stalking a sixteen-year-old in daytime, he was capable of doing anything.

He glanced again and thought that their follower had got closer. He frowned and quickened his pace, dragging Nikko along. His thoughts were in chaos. They were in the centre of a busy city during the day, it was ridiculous that anything would happen to them. And yet, that man wasn't sane, so his actions wouldn't be logical. Takafumi had do to something to lose him.

Suddenly he saw the Marimo books sign and an idea came to him. He turned sharply and led Nikko inside. They hid behind a shelf with romance novels and from there observed the entrance. The man didn't enter after them, he remained standing in front of the building, waiting.

- He won't go away, you know. – Nikko spoke. – He'll wait for us until we get out.

- Too bad we won't get out from that exit. – Takafumi replied. – Come.

He went to the shoujo manga section where a tall young man was busy reorganizing the manga book on the shelves. When he heard their footsteps, he turned with a wide welcoming smile.

- Oh, Yokozawa-san!

- Can I ask for a favour? – Takafumi asked.

- Huh? – The man's smile faded after he saw how serious Takafumi was. He rested his eyes on Nikko's pale face.

- We need to go out from the back door. Just don't ask why.

- Uh … okay… sure…

- Thanks.

- Thank you. – Nikko muttered.

They went to the back of the bookstore, and into an attached warehouse, full of boxes with books and magazines. At the moment there were a workers there, carrying two large boxes. They halted briefly to look at the newly-arrived, and then continued their work.

Nikko and Takafumi went out into an alleyway. Then they went out into another of the main streets. Takafumi sighed with relief.

- We made it. – He said with a small smile. – Now, let's go to the police.

Nikko nodded. They headed for the police department. Even though they knew they weren't being followed anymore, the two were still nervous and constantly looked behind to see if anyone was behind them.

Finally they entered the police department and let out a mutual sigh of relief. Ten minutes later they were talking with a police officer. It was mostly Nikko who talked actually – he told the officer everything that had something to do with his stalker: from the rape eight years ago to the most recent events. The police officer who didn't appear to be much older than Takafumi was sympathetic and understanding. He explained that he would call the police in Okinawa to ask them to check if Kuroda Masato was there or had moved elsewhere. He also advised the teen to not go anywhere alone, even during the daytime.

- Can't you do anything? – Takafumi asked impatiently. – Like assigning a police officer to stay in front of the school or something?

- I'm sorry, we can't. We don't have enough people available to take such a step. Besides, we must confirm that this is a case of stalking. – The man replied.

- Confirm? – Takafumi exclaimed. – I'm telling you I saw the same man who was standing in front of Nikko's school follow us!

- Yes, you did. – The officer replied calmly. – But we cannot say with certainty that it wasn't a solitary occurrence. We need further evidence to determine if this really is a case of stalking.

- And what if, while you are waiting for your evidence, something happens to Nikko? – Takafumi asked loudly getting irritated.

- Yokozawa-san, please. – Nikko spoke softly and then turned to the officer. – Thank you for your time. – He stood up and bowed his head slightly.

- We will keep the case open. – The officer said. – If something comes up, we'll inform you immediately.

- Thank you. – Nikko repeated with a hollow voice.

He turned to leave. Takafumi glared at the officer and followed the teen. He found Nikko standing in the waiting room. Nikko explained that he would call for a taxi, but preferred to wait for it in the building. The older man agreed. They stood waiting in silence. Takafumi kept a close eye on Nikko, ready to react to any sign of stress, fear or anxiety.

The taxi came and twenty minutes later the two were in Takafumi's apartment. Nikko curled up on the sofa, drawing his knees to his chest, the same thing he had done a week ago too. Takafumi watched him with sympathy and sadness. The teen had been so happy that week, and now … he shook his head and went to sit down beside Nikko.

- I'm sorry for making you take a day off because of me. – The teen spoke quietly. – I hope you won't have any problems at work because of me.

- Don't worry about it. – Takafumi replied. – I think my co-workers actually enjoy it when I'm not around. Besides, I think this was about the second time this year I got a half-day off, so I don't think it'll be a problem with my superiors. Your safety is more important, you know.

Nikko smiled slightly. He remained curled up for a few more minutes, and then straightened up. He grabbed his backpack and took his books out. He opened his Math notebook and began scribbling. Takafumi glanced at the small notebook and observed Nikko's tiny, neat handwriting. It looked more like a girl's writing than a boy's. The man thought that Nikko had some feminine traits, which was probably one of the reasons why he had been raped.

Takafumi took out some papers he had brought from work, and began working as well. For the next hour and a half the two were silent, each engulfed in their own thoughts and tasks. Finally Takafumi was finished. He looked at Nikko, and saw that he was now writing some sort of an essay. He was looking at his text, slightly frowning.

- You having troubles? – Takafumi asked.

- No, just thinking. This is for my Philosophy class. It's not a very difficult subject, you know.

- What's the topic?

- The role of the Philosopher. I'm trying to prove that every author – with some exceptions, of course - should be seen as philosophers, because they express ideas through their work.

- Sounds interesting. – Takafumi commented. – Let me read it when you're done.

- Oh, no, it probably won't be good. – Nikko said modestly, blushing slightly. – I'm just writing it to keep my mind off things.

- So … how are you coping with all of this? – The older man asked softly.

- I … I don't know. – The teen confessed. – I feel a bit numb, and a bit scared. But you know, I think that I've somewhat accepted it.

- Accepted what?

- That he'll get me eventually. He's a maniac, you know, and he won't stop until he succeeds. – Nikko muttered.

- And what, you're just gonna let him hurt you again? – Takafumi exclaimed unbelievingly. – Don't you have any idea what he might do to you? You can't do this!

He cupped the teen's face, looking him directly in the eyes. Nikko's apathy and acceptance scared him more than anything else that day. The older man could protect the boy from his stalker, but he couldn't protect him from his inner doubts and fears. The teen watched him with tears in his eyes. He just shook his head helplessly. Then he slowly wrapped his arms around Takafumi's torso and buried his face in his chest. Nikko was weeping frantically and his whole body was shaking violently.

Takafumi embraced him as well and started rubbing the teen's back. He murmured softly in his ear, trying to calm the boy down.

Finally, Nikko ceased his sobs and moved away from Takafumi. He wiped his face and then ran his hands through his black hair.

- I … I'm sorry. – He whispered.

- You don't need to apologise, it's a normal reaction. After all, you've been under a lot of stress. – Takafumi said. – Are you ok, now?

- Yeah, I think so. – Nikko nodded uncertainly.

-Look, don't ever say such things again, okay? – The older man said. – You can't believe how scared I felt.

- I'm sorry. – Nikko muttered.

- Nikko, you … you don't actually … believe those things you said, do you? – Takafumi asked hesitantly.

- I don't know. But he really won't stop on his own volition. – The teen replied.

- Yeah. – Takafumi nodded.

- I really don't know what to do. – Nikko muttered helplessly.

He shook his head, and then drew his knees to his chest again. Takafumi sighed and sat down next to the teen again.

- Thank you for putting up with me. – Nikko spoke up suddenly. – I know I'm only causing you problems.

- Oh, no, don't say that. – Takafumi said. – It's not like this at all. And I said it before – this is your safety we're talking about. These small inconveniences are meaningless.

- You're so kind and good. – The teen stated with a smile. – It's a real blessing for someone to have you in their life.

He reached out and took the older man's hand. Takafumi smiled lightly, and squeezed Nikko's smaller hand. He loved the teen and wanted to always be there to protect him, even if his relationship with Nikko remained on the friendly, platonic level it was at the moment. He was satisfied with just being there for the boy.

Nikko lifted the older man's hand and observed the plaster on his finger, covering his cut from the previous day. He carefully removed the plaster, and looked at the cut. The wound had started to heal, but it stull hurt Takafumi.

- They didn't make fun of you at work because of the plaster, did they? – Nikko asked good-humouredly.

- No. – The older man smiled.

Nikko smiled as well. Takafumi was pleased to see he was a bit more cheerful now and was secretly glad he had cut his finger. He teasingly flicked a finger at the tip of the teen's nose, making Nikko chuckle in response.

- Stop it! – The teen giggled when Takafumi repeated the gesture.

- Why? – The older man asked. – You're laughing, so you like it.

Nikko narrowed his eyes slightly and wrinkled his nose. Takafumi was about to chuckle at the face he was making when the boy suddenly leapt forward and started tickling him. Soon, Takafumi was out of breath and struggling.

- Sto … Stop! – He managed to say through his laughs.

- Why? You are laughing, so you like it. – The teen said innocently.

- Oh, is that so?

The older man easily turned the tables. He pinned Nikko down on the sofa and tickled him mercilessly. Soon, the boy was laughing so hard that he couldn't even try to protect himself from Takafumi's 'attacks'. The tickling finally ceased and Takafumi looked at the teen, lying under him. Nikko's face was flushed, his eyes were full with tears from laughing too hard and he was breathing heavily.

Takafumi wondered if he had gone too far with his actions. Normally he never acted so immature, not even around Masamune. He had always been the mature one, the voice of reason, even when he was younger. He had never allowed himself to indulge into such childish games, as he had always thought that wasn't an appropriate thing for a working adult to do. He looked at Nikko, who had his hands resting on his stomach.

- Wow, my cheeks hurt from laughing so much! – The teen said, rubbing his face gently.

He didn't look nervous or angry, much to Takafumi's delight. The older man got up and straightened his clothes, noticing they had got wrinkled during the tickling.

- You okay? – He asked, seeing that Nikko's face was still bright red.

- Yeah, don't worry. – The boy replied grinning widely. – That was fun!

- Yeah… - Takafumi muttered. – Well, I'm glad I was able to cheer you up.

- Me too. – Nikko nodded. – You always seem to know how to make me smile.

The older man blushed slightly at the response. He wondered if Nikko realised how much some of his sayings confused Takafumi. The teen would often say niceties like that and Takafumi would be left pondering if the teen was just being friendly or was actually flirting with him. It always made him feel awkward, as if he was, as Masamune had put it, a schoolgirl.

- Oh, it's that late already. I should give Sorata some food and start making dinner. Are you fine with pork? – He asked, hoping Nikko wouldn't get suspicious at the sudden change of topic.

- Sounds delicious. – The teen smiled. – I'll help you.

- You still haven't finished your philosophy homework yet. – The older man pointed out.

- It's not due for tomorrow anyway. – Nikko said. – I have enough time to finish it. I can help you with dinner.

The next morning Takafumi was awakened by his alarm clock. He hit the button and sat up in his bed, yawning loudly. Then he went in the bathroom and brushed his teeth, looking at his reflection in the mirror above the sink. He and Nikko had adopted a certain routine for the mornings. Takafumi would get up first and, after brushing his teeth and getting dressed, would go and wake up the teen.

Ten minutes later Takafumi entered his living room. Nikko was sleeping on the sofa, almost entirely covered by the blanket. Only the tips of his hair were showing. A round lump next to his sleeping form indicated that Sorata was curled in a ball beside him. The cat certainly loved being around the teen. Takafumi lifted the quilt, smiling at the sleeping face. He gently shook the teen by the shoulder. Nikko awoke with a tired groan.

- Hey, time to get up. – Takafumi said softly. – Go brush your teeth while I make breakfast.

He left the teen on the sofa and went in the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the two. He knew that Nikko didn't eat much, and suspected that the teen didn't eat anything during the day, so he always made sure that Nikko had a nutritional breakfast every day.

He was almost done when Nikko entered the room. Takafumi turned to tell the teen that breakfast was almost ready when he noticed something odd. He had thought that Nikko's reddened face was because of his habit to sleep with his head under the cover. But now the boy's cheeks were still red, and he seemed tired, despite having slept for more than ten hours.

- Hey, are you alright? – He asked with worry.

Nikko sat down on the table and waved his hand tiredly. Takafumi went and placed his palm on the teen's forehead. He gasped, sensing that Nikko's skin was burning.

- You've got a fever! – He exclaimed.

- My head hurts too. - Nikko

It must be a result of all the stress that had accumulated yesterday, the older man thought. Nikko had seemed perfectly fine yesterday, but his current condition couldn't be explained with anything else. Takafumi bit his lower lip and went to the bathroom. He kept a whole set of the most basic medicine, like anti-inflammatory pills, cough syrup so on, just in case he ever felt indisposed. This habit had saved him a number of times.

- Here. – The older man returned to the kitchen and handed the boy a couple of pills. – This one is for the fever, and this is a simple painkiller. What is it?

- I don't like taking pills. I always feel nauseous afterwards. – Nikko, who had made a face when he saw the medicine, explained.

- I know that it's not pleasant, but you're burning right now. These will help you. – Takafumi insisted. – Take them after breakfast and then go to sleep again. You're not going to school in this condition.

- Ok. – The teen mumbled.

Takafumi returned to the breakfast, concerned. He knew that Nikko just needed to rest and would be fine. Still, when he saw someone whom he cared about in such a weak state, all he wanted to do is stay beside them and take care of them. But he couldn't do that now, he couldn't take another day off from work. He sighed.

- There you go. – He placed a full bowl in front of Nikko, who just stared at the food with an even expression. – I know that you don't have any appetite, but you must eat something for the pills to truly work. Come on, just a little.

Nikko sighed and took his chopsticks. Takafumi felt a bit embarrassed, he had sensed that his last sentence sounded really weak and pathetic, but he was glad that he had convinced the teen to eat. He sat down next to Nikko and also took a pair of chopsticks.

The older man kept glancing at the boy. Nikko was unusually lifeless, it was almost scary. It was so different from what Takafumi was used to, and he couldn't help but feel utterly concerned.

- I can't eat anymore. – Nikko said after fifteen agonizing minutes of picking at his food – the bowl was still two thirds full.

- Well, it's something. – Takafumi said. – Now take the pills. You want some water?

- Yes, please.

Takafumi obliged and handed the teen a glass filled with water. He watched as Nikko swallowed the pills one by one. The boy really didn't like pills. He frowned after taking the firs pill, and choked while swallowing the second. He coughed violently and the older man immediately patted him on the back.

- Are you alright?- He asked after the coughing had stopped.

Nikko nodded. His eyes were filled with tears and he wiped them away with his sleeve.

- You should rest now. Go sleep in my bed. – Takafumi advised.

- I'll sleep on the sofa. – Nikko said immediately.

- No, use my bed, please. – The older man insisted. – I'll be at work, so it won't be any problem. No come on, I want to see you in bed before I leave for work.

Nikko headed for the bedroom and Takafumi followed him. He watched the teen crawl into his bed and pull the cover over him. His face was still red, but Takafumi knew it took some time for the medicine's effect to show. He glanced at his watch and saw it was about time to leave. He advised Nikko to call him if a problem came up. Then he promised to come home as soon as he could. The boy smiled and assured the older man that he didn't have to go out of his way for him.

Takafumi left his apartment and headed for the elevator, praying that when he returned that evening he would be greeted by a cheerful, healthy Nikko.


	7. Chapter 7

AN - Chapter 7 is here. :) It may take me more time to finish chapter 8, since the ending to this chapter was originally supposed to be the main event in the next chapter, but I got fed up with the characters living in denial. :D  
Anyway, enjoy! :)

* * *

- Yokozawa-san, here's the proposal for Mutou-sensei's next issue.

- Leave it here, I'll look at it later.

Ritsu nodded and cleared a small square of the desk to place his proposal there. Takafumi was busy reading an e-mail from a bookstore manager, but his mind wasn't on it. He kept glancing at his mobile phone, which lay on the desk beside the laptop.

- Uh, is something wrong? – Ritsu asked hesitantly.

- Nikko is sick and I've left him at home alone. I'm just worried about him, that's all. – Takafumi explained.

- Oh, what's wrong with him? – The editor asked slightly worried.

- He's got a fever. I think it's from all that he's been through recently. He also has a headache. I've given him some medicine and I hope he's managed to go to sleep after I left.

- I hope he's alright. – Ritsu said with sympathy. – He's a really nice kid.

Takafumi nodded. He had noticed that Nikko and Ritsu got along very well and though this slightly irritated him, he knew he couldn't do anything but accept things as they were.

- Takano-san suggested we have dinner together this evening, but if Nikko's not feeling well then I guess it would have to be postponed. – Ritsu added.

- Yeah. – Takafumi muttered distractedly. – Well, you should get back to your department. I'll read your proposal and return it to you if it's not good.

- Thanks.

Takafumi watched the young editor leave and sighed again. He was surprised with himself, he hadn't actually expected he would be able to act so calmly. He smiled lightly to himself, knowing this was all thanks to Nikko. He was so pleased he had met the teen, his life with Nikko had certainly changed him for the better. Takafumi had noticed he wasn't so bad tempered as before and generally seemed happier with his life.

Takafumi sent the teen a text message, asking him how he was feeling. A minute later he got a reply from Nikko, explaining that the fever had almost gone, but his head still hurt. The older man advised the boy to take another painkiller and try to sleep.

Thankfully, Takafumi was able to finish all of his work on time and didn't need to stay at work late. He was glad that for once luck seemed to be in his favour. He feared that he might have to stay over-time in the office and was worried that Nikko would have to wait for him alone all evening.

- I'm home! – Takafumi called out and shut the door behind him.

He took his shoes off and went to place them in their usual spot when he noticed the two pairs f sneakers which didn't belong to him or Nikko. He frowned and stepped into the living room. He found Nikko sitting on the couch, sipping tea from a mug and chatting with Masamune and Ritsu.

- Eh? What are you doing here? – He asked surprised.

- Well, Ritsu told me that Nikko was ill and since it's still the beginning of the cycle, we finished work early and decided to come see him. – Masamune explained.

Takafumi felt conflicted. Part of him was happy that Nikko hadn't been alone, and another part was irritated that once again Masamune and Ritsu were interfering. He should be the only one taking care of Nikko, the two editors weren't even supposed to know the teen existed. He knew that he had nothing to worry about, but still felt slightly jealous. He glanced at Nikko and noted that the teen looked like normal. He was wrapped up in his blanket, but otherwise looked like usual.

- How are you feeling? – Takafumi asked just to be sure.

- Perfectly fine. – The teen replied.

- No more headaches or fever?

- Nope. – Nikko grinned. – I'm all good now.

- Glad to hear. – Takafumi muttered.

He glared at the two guests, which made Ritsu shift awkwardly and blush. Masamune was completely unaffected by it.

- By the way, Yokozawa, it seems that Sorata's fallen in love with Nikko. – He said jokingly. – He didn't even come greet me at the door.

He grinned at Takafumi, his cheerful expression clearly adding – looks like you have competition. Takafumi frowned sternly and told his friend to grow up. Then he went to the kitchen, announcing that he had to make dinner.

He was already cutting up the vegetables when he heard footsteps behind him. He knew just by the sound of them that it was Nikko. He turned and saw the teen standing behind him. He was still wrapped in his blanket and was holding the now empty mug.

- Please don't try to help me with dinner. – Takafumi said with a smile. – I can do it by myself. You need to rest.

- Are you sure? – The teen asked.

- Yeah. Go ask those two if they plan on staying for dinner.

Nikko looked at him with a strange expression. He didn't say anything, he just placed the mug in the sink and left the room. Takafumi wondered what had just happened. For a second he froze in panic, fearing that Masamune might have told Nikko something about his feelings about the teen. He shook his head, knowing that his friend would never do something like that. But then … why did Nikko look so odd just now? Or maybe Takafumi was just imagining things and getting worked up over nothing.

- They said they'd stay if you were ok with it. – Nikko had returned.

- Ok then.

There it was again – the teen was staring at him, as if expecting something bad. Takafumi was sure it wasn't just his imagination. What was going on?

- Is something wrong, Nikko? – Takafumi asked.

- Not exactly … - Nikko muttered. – Just something that has been circling in my mind for a couple of days, you know ...

- What is it? – The older man asked.

- Well, I may be wrong, of course, but …

- Yokozawa, you need help? – At that moment Masamune and Ritsu entered the room and Nikko immediately fell silent.

- Yeah – Takafumi replied. – You can cut the meat up.

- Eh? You said you could do it alone when I asked you. – Nikko complained.

- That's because you need to rest. – The older man said sternly.

The teen pouted and took a knife, determined to help. Takafumi chuckled and patted him on the head. He was curious what Nikko was about to say, but he decided he had to wait until the two were alone to talk about it.

- We had a very good time. – Masamune said as he and Ritsu were about to leave.

- Yeah, we too. – Takafumi replied sincerely and Nikko nodded in agreement.

- Well, have a nice evening. – Ritsu wished.

- You too.

Nikko hugged the two men for goodbye. Takafumi was surprisingly calm about this, because he knew that was how Nikko treated his friends. The two editors left and Nikko and Takafumi returned to the living room.

- I'll do the washing up. – Nikko said and headed for the kitchen.

Takafumi followed him, determined to finish their conversation from before. He leaned on the wall behind Nikko, watching the teen. He thought, not for the first time, how small and fragile the boy was, as he was staring at Nikko's narrow back.

- What were you about to say? – He asked.

- Huh?

- Earlier, you wanted to say something but Masamune and Onodera interrupted you. What was it? – Takafumi said, not removing his gaze from Nikko's back.

- Oh, that … I was just wondering if you were fine with having dinner with them… that's all.

- Huh?

- I was just wondering for a couple of days, you know … that you may have been in love with Takano-san.

Takafumi stared at the teen wide-eyed. How … how was he able to figure that out? The older man had never told him any names, he hadn't even hinted that he and Masamune had known each other before coming to work for Marukawa. How Nikko had found out was a mystery to him, not to mention that he hadn't expected that the teen would uncover the only secret Takafumi wanted to remain hidden. Nikko turned to look at Takafumi and the older man didn't even have the strength to look the boy in the eyes. He looked away ashamed.

- I guess I was right, huh? – Nikko asked softly and with sympathy.

- Yes, you were. – Takafumi said quietly. – How did you …

- Well, I noticed that you kept calling Takano-san with his first name, so I figured you were really close to him, but he calls you by your last name … so it was kind of … obvious, you know … - The teen explained, his voice was apologetic and his eyes - sad.

- You're a reals Sherlock Holmes, you know that. – Takafumi replied, trying his best to manage a smile. – Yeah, I was in love with Masamune. But I never had a chance with him – he's been in love with Onodera since high school, and I met him in college, so… - His voice trailed off and he shook his head.

- That's sad. – Nikko muttered softly.

He went to the older man and hugged him timidly. Takafumi returned the hug, holding the teen tightly, letting his sadness and desperation show. He was fed up with being alone, with watching everyone else find love and be happy. He wanted to be loved, he wanted Nikko.

- You should look on the bright side. – The teen said suddenly.

- What?

- Well, they say that there is a right person for every one of us. – Nikko said, looking up at the older man's face. – If that's true, then Takano-san is not the right one for you, obviously, so this means that the right person for you is still out there. And when you meet them, they will love you and you will be happy.

- Do you believe that? – Takafumi asked.

- Well, it's better to believe this than be miserable and heartbroken, isn't it? – Nikko shrugged.

- Then there must be a right one for you, and yet you claim you'll never find love. – The older man pointed out with a smile.

- Well … - The teen blushed. – I think there may be someone out there for me … you know … in general …

- Then what do you think will happen when you meet that person?

- I don't know. – Nikko replied honestly. –I suppose … I mean … but we were talking about you! I was saying that you will meet someone and fall in love with them!

Takafumi smiled, seeing the teen blush intensely. He squeezed him tightly and ruffled his hair, thinking how unnaturally cute Nikko was. He was one part boyishly innocent, one part maturely seductive. His eyes sparkled with joy and promised so much. His smile was sweet, gentle and yet looked mischievous in a way. Takafumi smiled at the boy's adorable face.

- You are so beautiful. – He whispered.

Nikko stared at him, his eyes growing wide and his smile fading. He took a step back, not able to speak. Takafumi realised what had escaped his mouth and gasped. One look at the teen's expression was enough to tell the older man that he had crossed a boundary.

- Nikko … I … didn't mean to say it … - He stuttered afraid.

Nikko shook his head, looking down, still speechless. His thoughts were in chaos. He was still in Takafumi's arms.

- Nikko, I'm sorry… - The older man began.

- … not … - The teen mumbled almost inaudibly.

- What?

- I said I'm not beautiful. – Nikko repeated more clearly. – I'm not. I'm tiny, feminine and weak. That's not beauty.

- Yes you are. – Takafumi insisted.

The teen's reaction was not what he expected. He thought Nikko would be scared, disgusted, or even run away. He didn't understand Nikko's denial. The older man reached out hesitantly and caressed the boy's cheek. Nikko didn't brush his hand away, which encouraged Takafumi.

- I thought you'd be mad at me. – He stated. – I mean, it's a bit perverted for a man my age to tell a sixteen-year-old that he's beautiful.

- You're not a pervert, believe me. – Nikko said quietly. – I never would have agreed to stay with you, to be close to you, to even talk to you if you were a pervert.

The teen smiled at Takafumi and squeezed him lightly. Then he straightened up and kissed the older man lightly on the side of his face.

- I also think you're beautiful. – He said shyly.

- Me? Oh, come on. – Takafumi chuckled.

- It's true. – Nikko insisted, dead serious. – I think you're the most beautiful man I've ever seen. And … I … I think I love you.

Now it was Takafumi's turn to stare bewildered. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, but no words came out. He felt a lump in his throat and found it hard to swallow. His eyes quickly filled with tears and he squeezed Nikko tightly, holding him as if his life depended on it. He cried, his head resting on top of Nikko's head, the boy's black strands tickling his face.

Then the older man cupped Nikko's small face and kissed him softly on the lips. It wasn't the perfect, romantic kiss he had hoped to give to Nikko, because he couldn't stop his tears from running down and his lips were quivering. Nevertheless, the passion he invested in the kiss was earnest. Nikko returned the kiss almost immediately. He wrapped his arms around Takafumi's torso and pressed his own body hard against the older man's. It was evident that the boy was uncertain, probably because of his inexperience – Takafumi realised this was the teen's first real kiss – but nevertheless, the teen didn't want to remain passive during the kiss. He ran his tongue along Takafumi's lips and pushed it in the older man's mouth as soon as access was granted. The teen was obviously lost now, his actions were chaotic, apparently improvised. Despite that this was the sweetest kiss in Takafumi's life.

He moved away from the teen, breaking the kiss. Nikko gasped softly and looked down shyly, his cheeks burning. Takafumi kissed him on the top of his head.

- I love you too. – He said with a smile.

Nikko blushed even more, but Takafumi saw the pleased smile that appeared on the teen's face. He chuckled softly, and placed a hand under the boy's chin, lifting his face. Nikko smiled sweetly and caressed Takafumi's face.

- You still have tears in your eyes. – The teen stated.

- Your eyes are teary too. – Takafumi replied.

Nikko chuckled and wiped his tears with his sleeve. Then he rested his head on Takafumi's chest.

- Do you mean it? – He asked quietly.

- That I love you? Of course! I'd never lie about this. – The older man said.

The two stayed embraced in the kitchen for ten minutes, completely silent, just enjoying each other's warmth and comfort. Takafumi couldn't believe that he had finally confessed to Nikko and now the two were together. He felt incredibly happy and couldn't stop himself from grinning.

- It's late and we both have to get up early tomorrow. – He said. – We should go to bed.

- Okay. – Nikko muttered.

- Come to bed with me. – The teen looked up slightly scared. – I'm talking only about sleep, nothing more. I just don't want you to sleep on the couch, you'll get backaches. – Takafumi added.

- Okay. – The teen nodded. – Umm, Yokozawa-san…?

- Yeah?

- I really love you … but I, uh, I'm not feeling ready to … you know …

- Oh, don't worry about that, I understand. – Takafumi said gently. – I love you, so I don't mind waiting until you are ready.

- Thanks. – Nikko smiled.

Takafumi kissed him softly. Then he prompted Nikko to get ready for bed. The teen nodded and went to the bathroom to take a shower. Takafumi went in the living room and sat on the sofa, allowing the teen to bathe and dress up in privacy. He had a hunch that Nikko would feel uncomfortable if he was seen undressed, although they were now in a relationship.

Suddenly Takafumi realised that he and Nikko hadn't actually discussed if they were now together or not. He made a mental note to ask him later to be sure.

Fifteen minutes later he decided that Nikko must be ready and in bed by now, so he stood up and went in his bedroom. When he opened the door, he saw Nikko was still putting on his pyjamas. The teen gasped loudly, covered his bare chest and then blushed embarrassed.

- I'm sorry, Yokozawa-san. It was out of habit. – He explained shyly.

- No, it's ok. – Takafumi said. – I should be the one apologizing, I thought that you were ready.

Nikko smiled at him gently. Meanwhile Takafumi was able to look at Nikko's bare torso for the first time. He liked the sight of the teen's flat stomach, his tiny waist, his pale, soft skin, and his light pink nipples. The older man didn't know that Nikko had a tattoo, but he could clearly see the six or seven paw prints on the left side of his stomach.

- Cute tattoo. – He stated.

- Oh, thanks. Cat paws. – Nikko said with a smile.

Takafumi smiled also. He watched Nikko get fully dressed and climb in the bed. Then he took his own pyjamas and went in the bathroom. He took a quick shower, and then brushed his teeth. The picture of Nikko, bare-chested, was imprinted firmly on his mind. Takafumi was eager to get to bed and embrace Nikko.

He returned to the bedroom, dressed in his pyjamas. Nikko was already lying on his side with the cover over his head. The older man lay beside the boy and wrapped one arm around him. The teen turned to face him and snuggled closer to him.

- Yokozawa-san?

- Yes?

- Are we going out now? – Nikko asked uncertainly.

- Yes. – Takafumi said firmly.

The teen grinned and hugged him. He wished good night with a half-sleepy voice and soon fell asleep. Takafumi held the sleeping boy close to him. He caressed his hair, letting his fingers run through the black locks.

Now that he was left alone with his thoughts, he could feel the worry setting in. He knew that this relationship wasn't going to be accepted by everyone. He was particularly terrified how Nikko's parents would react. Nikko had often complained that they were over-protective, because they were afraid something might happen to him again. Takafumi couldn't imagine how Nikko would break the news to them. Plus, there were his own parents. Takafumi had never discussed his feelings with his parents, although he sensed that they were suspicious of his closeness with Masamune.

Takafumi knew there was a lot of explaining he and Nikko needed to do. He knew that the road ahead of the two was rocky, that there would be problems. But as he looked at the sleeping boy in his arms, Takafumi felt the strength and confidence that he was able to do this.


	8. Chapter 8

AN - Chapter 8, everyone! The story is coming to an end...  
Enjoy! :)

* * *

Takafumi hadn't actually expected he would be so happy about finally getting together with Nikko. He had been in relationships before – not so many, but enough for him to know that after some time the initial enthusiasm would fade away. But his current relationship with Nikko was unlike any other he had had. For the first time Takafumi felt whole. He hadn't even realised how much was missing from his life before the teen had come along. It was incredible and Takafumi wanted that feeling to last forever.

He hadn't forgotten that Nikko was stalked by his rapist and former teacher. Their morning routine hadn't changed, except for the fact that Nikko now slept with Takafumi in his bed. They hadn't done anything sexual yet and although Takafumi felt at times that his will power was tested to the extreme, he knew full well that if he did anything before the teen felt ready, he would lose him for good and he couldn't imagine being alone after seeing how blissful his life could be.

About a week after the mutual confession spring break began. Takafumi was glad that now he wouldn't have to worry about something happening to the teen while he was in school. But he also felt guilty that now Nikko was essentially trapped in the apartment the whole day while he was at work. He tried to compensate this during the weekends, taking the boy out to see a movie or just walk in the park – naturally while keeping a close eye to their surroundings, just in case that monster was lurking anywhere near. Nikko tried to protest, insisting that the older man should use the weekend to relax from work. But he couldn't hide his happiness from going out. Takafumi was just cheerful to see the teen smile, and he kept saying that going out with the boy was in no way tiring at all.

Masamune and Ritsu often joined them during their outings. Nikko had immediately informed them about his relationship with Takafumi and the two editors were quite happy about the two. However, Ritsu's mood soon turned sour when the teen started urging him to confess his feeling for Masamune, insisting that the four should go on a proper double date. The green-eyed editor fought back, but Takafumi could see that his stubbornness was getting weaker and weaker with each passing day. Takafumi was surprised to discover he actually found it amusing when Masamune and Nikko teased Ritsu and often caught himself grinning or chuckling.

One evening, the two were sitting in the living room. Takafumi was looking through some papers while Nikko was lying on the sofa, with his head in the older man's lap.

- I'm done. – Takafumi announced. – Sorry, you must have been bored out of your skull.

- Oh, no. It was work after all. I wouldn't want you to have troubles with your boss because of me. – Nikko replied.

He turned to lie on his back and looked at the older man. Takafumi smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. His action caused Nikko to blush intensely.

- Yokozawa-san? – The teen spoke up softly.

- Hmm?

- Can I ask you about … Takano-san? – Nikko asked shyly.

The older man looked at him surprised. He knew that the teen hadn't forgotten about Takafumi's old flame, but seeing that the boy acted normally around Masamune, he had thought that the teen had just brushed it off. He believed that after Nikko had seen how much Masamune cared about Ritsu he had assumed that there was no need to worry about this.

- What do you want to know? – Takafumi asked, his voice was slightly quavering.

- Well … why did you love him? – The teen asked hesitantly.

- It's a long story. – Takafumi replied. – I met him in university. We discovered we had mutual interests and started hanging out. I had a girlfriend at that time, but after I met Masamune I didn't spend so much time with her, so we eventually broke up. To be honest I didn't feel that sad when it happened. Then, one day I noticed that Masamune became terribly depressed. He skipped all of his classes that day and when I visited him in the evening I found him lying drunk on his bed. When I sobered him up enough for him to speak rationally, he explained that he had found out that this guy he had gone out with in high school was engaged while they were dating. It really broke his heart. But I managed to help him get over it. At some point while I was taking care of him I realised I loved him, and that's it.

- So, you two were never dating? – Nikko asked.

- No. Well, we … we did it a few times, but I think Masamune never saw me as something more than a friend.

- I bet those were really hard times for you. – Nikko said sympathetically. – And for Takano-san too.

- Yeah, at times it was a real nightmare. – Takafumi nodded.

- Well, I'm glad that Takano-san has Onodera-san. – The teen said with a smile, causing the older man to chuckle. – What?

- Well, Onodera was actually the same guy that Masamune dated in high school.

Nikko stared with his mouth wide open. He blinked a few times, unable to speak. Takafumi chuckled at the teen's flabbergasted expression. Finally, the boy found his voice.

- I don't believe it! – He said firmly.

- I'm telling you the truth. You can ask them personally, if you want to. – Takafumi said.

- No, I meant that I don't believe the part where Onodera-san had a fiancé. – Nikko said, still determinedly. – He doesn't look like the cheating type. And it's so obvious that he loves Takano-san. Besides, how could he have a fiancé while he was still in high school?

Takafumi was surprised at how easily Nikko could discard the idea of Ritsu double-timing Masamune. Now that he could objectively reflect on it, he realised how absurd it was of him to think that the green-eyed man was just playing with his friend. But he was driven by jealousy at the time, so it was no wonder that he wanted to blame everything on his rival.

- I think you're right. – He muttered softly.

Nikko smiled and sat up, resting his head on the older man's shoulder. Takafumi hugged him, giving him a kiss on the head. The teen lifted his head and kissed him on the lips softly. Then he buried his face in Takafumi's chest. His hands were running up and down his boyfriend's upper arms.

- By the way, why did you ask me about this? – Takafumi asked with curiosity.

- Well, I realised I don't know much about your past, you know. I just thought that now that we're going out, we should be able to talk about these things. – The teen explained.

- That's true. – The older man nodded. – Now that I think about it, I realise I know more about you than you about me.

That was true. The two had spent ample time talking about Nikko's life. Takafumi now knew a lot not only about Nikko's childhood, interests and hobbies, but also about Nikko's home in Okinawa and his parents. That wasn't because the teen didn't care about the older man. It was just that Nikko had no problem talking about himself and was ready to answer every question about him, while Takafumi couldn't let himself open up so easily. Besides, he preferred to listen about Nikko's life than to talk about his own.

When spring break ended and Nikko had to return to school, Takafumi began to worry for his safety again. Now that the two were together, he felt even more protective than before. Sometimes he wished he could quit his job so that he could be with the teen all the time. Only that way he could be absolutely sure that Nikko was completely safe. But sadly, he couldn't do that.

It was Wednesday. Takafumi was in the office, buried in work, and on the edge of a nervous breakdown. It was barely early in the afternoon, and yet he felt extremely exhausted – after two meetings and having to do his rounds, he felt quite worn-out. It didn't help that there was a flu going around the office, so some of his co-workers had taken the day off because they were sick.

Takafumi sighed as he looked at the large pile of papers that had accumulated on his desk. He frowned, feeling a sharp pain between his eyebrows. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, so he decided to take a short break. He wanted to go the bathroom and splash some cold water on his face to refresh himself. He left his mobile phone on the desk, thinking he wouldn't be more than five minutes away. Then he left and headed quickly for the bathroom. On his way, he met Henmi, who was just returning from one of the editorial departments. He frantically began to talk, saying something about an 'incident' with one of the manuscript, which had left five pages completely covered in ink. Takafumi interrupted him, saying he'd listen to his story when he returned.

He entered the washroom and turned the cold water faucet on. He cupped his hands under the stream and splashed some water on his face. Taking a paper towel, he dried himself. He frowned slightly, noticing his bangs were moist, but assumed they'd dry up soon. Then he returned to the office.

He was surprised to see that the atmosphere had completely changed. Before he left, the place resembled a bee hive – everybody was walking around, talking and making loud noises. But now they were all quiet and looked quite anxious. When Takafumi entered, all eyes were on him.

- What is going on? – He asked.

Henmi stood up. His place was completely white and he was trembling. He looked like someone who had no choice but to willingly enter the lion's den, despite having no desire to do so.

- Umm, well ... – he mumbled and suddenly erupted in apologies – I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done it, but you've said that if it's about work you don't mind, so I did it because I thought it was about work …

- What are you talking about? – Takafumi asked confused.

- Your phone. You've said that you have no problem if we answered it if it was about work. It rang a minute ago and it was an unknown number, so we thought it was about work. So … I answered it and … well, it wasn't about work.

Takafumi frowned. He had a bad feeling about this and somehow connected it with Nikko.

- So who was it? – He asked.

- It … it was the police.

That single sentence made Takafumi's blood run cold.

- What did they say? – He asked with a trembling voice.

- When they heard you weren't there, they just said that you needed to come to the Tokyo Medical University Hospital as soon as possible. – Henmi said.

Takafumi stood still for a minute, trying to process what had been said to him. He instantly knew something had happened to Nikko and at first, he thought about the worst possible outcome. Then he realised Henmi had said hospital, which gave him some hope.

- I have to go there right away. – He said and rushed to his desk. – Will you guys be able to take care of things?

- Yeah, yeah, don't worry about it.

Takafumi nodded as he took his briefcase and his mobile phone. He practically ran out of the office and to the elevator, pressing the button frantically. While in the small compartment, he called for a taxi, wanting to reach the hospital as soon as possible.

After what seemed like an eternity, the taxi finally halted in front of white building. Takafumi paid the driver and exited the car. He hurried to the entrance, praying that Nikko was alive. As he entered, he looked around but couldn't see any police officer in the waiting room. Thinking that Henmi might have heard the wrong hospital name, he went to the receptionist's desk.

- Um, excuse me?

A middle-aged woman looked up from her computer screen. She had a sour expression on her face, as if Takafumi had somehow offended her by merely existing.

- I received a phone call from a police officer that I should come here.

- What's your name?

- Yokozawa Takafumi.

The features on the woman's face softened visibly.

- Ah, yes. Second floor, room 213. Poor boy, he was so distressed when they brought him in.

- So, he's still alive? – Takafumi asked, filled with hope.

- Yes, he is.

- Thank you! – Takafumi exclaimed.

He bowed slightly and ran to the stairs, thinking that with his bad luck he'd have to wait for it. It wasn't much of an effort to take the stairs to the second floor. And in Takafumi's current state, he could have run all the way to the roof if he had to.

As he emerged on the second floor, he immediately saw two police officers standing in the hallway. Their serious expressions caused his heart to climb up in his throat. He went to them and cleared his throat.

- Yokozawa Takafumi?

Takafumi nodded. He wasn't sure he was able to speak.

- May we ask you what your connection to Hirohata Nikko is? – One officer asked.

- I am his neighbour, and also his … friend. – It probably wasn't a good idea to tell the police he and Nikko were dating.

- And do you know about any incident which has happened in the teen's life?

- If you are referring to the rape, then yes, Nikko has told me about it. He also told me that the man who raped him was stalking him. I even saw it with my own eyes and on the same day we reported it to the police. Now, could you please tell me what has happened?

- Assault, attempted kidnapping and possibly attempted murder. We still aren't sure what the perpetrator's exact intentions were. – Takafumi's heart stopped beating upon hearing this. – From what we heard from witnesses and the victim himself, the victim was walking home from school with a few classmates when a middle-aged man suddenly ran to the group and grabbed him by the arm, holding a knife. He tried to drag the victim away, but he fought back and so the perpetrator attacked him with the weapon. A police officer, who was on his day off, and a few civilians interfered and managed to hold down the perpetrator until a police car arrived.

- And Nikko? – Takafumi asked carefully.

- He has received multiple wounds, most of them defensive. Luckily none of them are very serious. The doctors are more concerned about his mental condition. The kid was simply terrified and still hasn't recovered fully.

- Can I go see him? – Takafumi asked.

- Of course.

Takafumi thanked the police officers and walked down the hallway, looking left and right for room 213. When he finally found it, he didn't even bother to knock on the door before he entered. He found Nikko sitting in a single bed. The teen was dressed in a short-sleeved hospital gown, which revealed the many cuts on his arms. There was also a cut on his left cheek and his lower lip was scratched. Takafumi shuddered when he saw the wounds. The boy turned when he heard the door open.

- Yokozawa-san!

Nikko truly looked petrified. He was pale and his eyes were still wide and frightened. He was frantically playing with his hands, intertwining his fingers, and looked as if he was expecting to be attacked at any moment. Takafumi went to him and carefully embraced him, careful not to hurt the boy. Nikko clung at him and cried his heart out.

- There, there. – Takafumi tried to calm him down.

He rubbed Nikko's small back and kissed the teen on the forehead gently, wiping away his tears. He felt extremely guilty about what had happened and blamed himself for every wound Nikko had received.

- I'm sorry. – He said quietly.

- About what? – Nikko asked surprised. – You have no fault. Moreover, I should thank you. If it weren't for you, this would have happened weeks ago. In fact, it would have been worse.

- How? – Takafumi asked.

- Well, when he grabbed me, my first thought was … that I wasn't going to see you again. And that thought scared me and I didn't want this to happen, so I fought back with all my strength.

Takafumi smiled, having been left speechless. To know that he was so important to Nikko filled his chest with warmth and he finally allowed his shoulders to relax. He still felt guilty, but was at the same time so happy that the teen wasn't seriously hurt and was alive and in his arms right now. Takafumi kissed Nikko softly on the lips.

- You can't believe how scared I was … - he muttered.

- Well, it could have been worse. – Nikko replied. – And they caught him! The police officer said he would be sent to prison for at least ten years.

- That's great. – Takafumi exclaimed.

He kissed Nikko again and then let the teen go, fearing he might be hurting him. He dragged a chair nearer to the bed and sat down, taking the teen's hand in his own.

After a few minutes a doctor entered. He looked at Nikko and smiled soothingly.

- How are you feeling, Nikko? – He asked.

- My cuts hurt, I have a headache and I'm still terrified. But otherwise I feel tip-top. – The teen replied, causing Takafumi to smile.

- That's good. Sense of humour is always a good sign. – The doctor stated.

- Can I go home? – The teen asked.

- Well, normally we wouldn't keep anyone here for wounds like yours, but we think you should spend the night here, just in case you suffer from some post-traumatic stress.

Nikko sighed, closing his eyes. Takafumi squeezed his hand reassuringly. He asked the doctor a few questions about Nikko's cuts – were they deep, would they leave a scar and how long would it take for them to heal. He was glad to hear that most of the wounds wouldn't leave a scar, since they were merely flesh wounds, and they would be gone in two weeks.

After the doctor had left the room, the teen sighed impatiently.

- What is it? – Takafumi asked.

- I don't want to be here. I'm not hurt so badly. – Nikko said.

- I know, but it's best to listen to the doctor's advice. They usually know what's good for you. – The older man said.

- Yeah. – Nikko muttered. – I know that I should be grateful that nothing worse happened, but I just don't want to stay here the whole night.

- I know. But it would be just for one night. I'll stay here until the end of visiting hours and I'll even take tomorrow off to get you home, ok?

- Oh, no, you don't need to take a day off. – Nikko immediately protested. – I can go home on my own.

- Are you serious? As if I'm letting you go home alone in your state! – Takafumi said.

Nikko smiled and rested on his pillow.

- I love you. – He said.

- I love you too.

At that moment Takafumi's mobile phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and looked at the screen. Seeing that Masamune was calling him, he told Nikko he was going out for a bit. When he went out in the hallway, he answered the call and was immediately bombarded with questions. Apparently his friend had learned that he had to go to the hospital and was asking if everything was okay with Nikko. Takafumi told him what had happened and Masamune promised he'd come with Ritsu immediately after they finished work. Takafumi thanked him and hung up. Then he returned in the room.

- That was Masamune. – He told Nikko. – He said he'll come with Onodera to see you.

- That's nice. – The teen smiled.

The rest of the afternoon Takafumi stayed by Nikko's side. He left the room only once, when he went to get something to eat and bring Nikko a beverage. He urged he teen to take a nap, but his lover was too excited and had no desire to sleep. The initial shock had died down and now the teen was acting almost normally. Masamune and Ritsu arrived in the early evening. Both were looking quite stressed, but relaxed visibly when Nikko assured them he wasn't hurt badly. The two editors also declared they'd stay until visiting hours ended.

- Don't worry, just one night and you'll be out. – Masamune said, after Nikko complained about having to stay in the hospital.

– Besides, you'll sleep for most of the time, so it will be tomorrow before you realise it. – Ritsu added with a smile.

- True. – Nikko smiled faintly. – But I'll miss Yokozawa-san so much.

- I'll miss you too, but your health is important to me. – Takafumi replied taking his hand.

Nikko wrapped his arms around him and rested his head on the older man's shoulder. Takafumi knew that the teen was scared of being left alone after what had happened to him, but the hospital staff wouldn't allow him to stay with him during the night. He hugged him back and the feeling of Nikko's warm body against his own was the most calming and reassuring thing at that moment. He was so glad that the boy wasn't hurt seriously, that he was still alive. He rested his hand on the back of Nikko's head and kissed him again.

Suddenly, the door burst open and two people – a man and a woman - entered the room. Their sudden appearance made the three grown men in the room jump up slightly. Nikko looked up to see the newly-arrived and gasped, his eyes growing wide.

- Mom? Dad?


	9. Chapter 9

AN - Sorry it took me so long to upload this chapter, I had a bit of an author's block - had a hard time describing the parents' reaction.  
Hope you'll like it. :)

* * *

Nikko's parents stood still, completely thunderstruck. They had obviously not expected to enter their son's room and find him in an older man's arms. Nikko was still hugging Takafumi, his grip was tighter than usual, as if the teen was seeking support and protection. His face had turned almost completely white. Takafumi was equally shocked and scared, knowing that his current position wasn't making a good first impression.

For a while no one spoke. Takafumi wondered if he should break the silence, but he didn't know what to say. Just acting like normal was entirely out of the question. And just going ahead and introducing himself wasn't something he could do with a composed face and steady voice. So he took the time to observe Nikko's parents.

His father – Takafumi knew his name was Hirohata Soma – looked like he was in his mid-forties. He was shorter than Takafumi and had dark brown hair, which was beginning to turn grey. He was wearing large, thick glasses. His wife, Hirohata Rai, was much younger than him – Nikko had told Takafumi that his mother became pregnant with him when she was 19. She looked a lot like her son, with black hair and blue eyes. She was small and looked quite delicate, just like Nikko.

She was also the first one to speak.

- What is going on here? – Her voice was thin and high, but Takafumi wasn't sure whether this was her normal voice or she was just angry. – Nikko, who is this?

- Oh, sorry. My name is Yokozawa Takafumi. – Takafumi quickly took a step forward and bowed his head. – Nice to meet you. I am Nikko's neighbour.

The woman moved her gaze to Masamune and Ritsu, who were unsuccessfully trying to remain unnoticed. Ritsu flushed and tried to hide behind Masamune.

- They are my friends. – Nikko muttered.

He was looking down at his lap, his cheeks bright red.

- And how come they are here? – His mother asked.

- Well, the police called Yokozawa-san and told him what had happened, so he came to see me. And then Takano-san called him and he told him and Onodera-san that I was in the hospital and they came here too. – The teen explained. – And why are you here?

- You think we could have stayed at home after we got that call? – His father asked.

- Well, as you see, I am perfectly fine. I can go home tomorrow, so there was no need for you to come all the way to Tokyo. – Nikko said.

- We are your parents! And I think we are the only ones here who have a right to be here. – His mother stated.

- That's not true! – The teen protested. – Takano-san and Onodera-san are my friends and they came here because they wanted to show their support and make sure that I was ok. And Yokozawa-san has to be here, because he is my boyfriend.

Everyone gasped. Takafumi hadn't expected Nikko would so easily tell his parents about their relationship. But his surprise was nothing compared to the parents' shock. Rai screeched, placing a hand on her chest and taking a step back, and Soma just stared at his son, as if expecting him to add 'I'm joking.' When that didn't happen, he moved his stare to Takafumi, who looked away, feeling rather uncomfortable.

- Are you serious? – Rai asked.

- Yes. I love him. – Nikko said seriously. – And Yokozawa-san loves me too.

He looked at his parents with a firm expression, slightly pouting. His gaze didn't waver even when his mother shook her head in denial.

- How can you? After what happened to you! You should be more careful! – His father scolded him.

- I am! – Nikko replied loudly.

- No, you're not! – Soma retorted. – How can you be so naïve?

- You don't know what you're talking about! – The teen exclaimed incredibly upset. – Yokozawa-san is very nice to me, he cares for me and protects me. You don't even know him, so you have no right to speak against him!

He bit his lower lip, visibly saddened. His eyes were filled with tears, but he firmly held his head up and looked directly at his parents. His face clearly showed that he had no intention of backing down. Seeing that Nikko was ready to fight to the end for his love filled Takafumi's heart with joy. He placed his hand on the teen's shoulder, ensuring him that he was by his side, ready to give him support. Nikko's parents shot him a spiteful glare.

- Look, I really don't want to fight right now. I'm tired, it's been a really long day for me and the last thing I want to do now is argue. – Nikko said wearily.

Rai's features softened. She was a caring mother and couldn't stay mad at Nikko when he was in such a state. She stepped closer to her son and caressed his cheek softly.

- I'm sorry. But imagine what it is for us to get a call that you've been attacked and in hospital, then to come here and hear you announce you are in a relationship with a much older man. We are worried about you, and you can't blame us. – She said. – Now, I suggest we all leave and you get some rest. Your father and I will come get you tomorrow.

- Where will you stay? – Nikko asked.

- Oh, we've already booked a room in a hotel nearby. – His father said. – We'll talk more tomorrow.

The teen nodded. He looked at Takafumi and smiled sadly. The older man smiled slightly as well. He wanted to hug the boy and kiss him, to tell him one more time how much Nikko meant to him, but felt uncomfortable doing so in front of the teen's parents. So he just nodded for goodbye and left the room, followed by Ritsu and Masamune.

- How are you, Yokozawa? – Masamune asked.

- Terrible. – Takafumi replied. – Nikko's parents hate me.

- They are parents. – His friends pointed out. – Even if we set aside the fact that Nikko was raped when he was a child, it's still a bit worrying that their son is going out with a man more than ten years his senior. You should just act normal and let them know you better.

- What if they still hate me? – Takafumi asked miserably.

- I don't think their opinion will affect Nikko in any way. – Ritsu said quietly.

- I know. But I'd feel better if his parents didn't glare at me everytime I'm in the same room with them …

Someone called them and the three stopped and turned. They saw Rai and Soma walking towards them. Takafumi's stomach filled with lead. At the moment he felt like a teenager, meeting the parents for the first time. He stood still awkwardly, feeling heat rise to his face.

- We realise we have offended you, but try to understand our point of view. – Soma began.

- I know. – Takafumi replied. – I realise that our relationship may seem disturbing to most people. To be honest, I would have considered you bad parents if you weren't worried about your son.

Rai smiled lightly at this.

- Nikko told us that we'd change our tune after we got to know you. – She said. – But he is just sixteen. I know that it's hard for a mother to accept that their child is grown up, but Nikko is really too young to be able to judge correctly. So, you understand our hostility.

- Yes, I do. – Takafumi nodded.

- Have you spoken to the doctor? When can Nikko go home? – Soma asked. – We were so eager to see him we went directly to his room.

- He said Nikko should spend the night here, just in case, and can go home tomorrow. I was planning on taking a day off to come and take him home …

- Oh, there is no need, we'll take care of it. – Rai said. – Now we'd like to speak with the doctor ourselves. Have a nice evening.

The two left. Takafumi looked at the two editors.

- Um, what do I make of that? – He asked hesitantly. – I'm not sure whether they've accepted me or not.

- Sounds like they'll at least give you a chance. – Masamune commented.

- Yeah … - Takafumi muttered.

He didn't know whether to be happy about this or not. Naturally, it was a good sign, but he knew that he didn't make good impressions on people. And knowing that these people were the parents of the boy he loved made him even more anxious. He was sure that the teen would still love him no matter what Rai and Soma would say. But he didn't feel comfortable with Nikko being in conflict with his parents because of him. Takafumi sighed exasperated.

- I won't be able to do it. – He said.

- Don't be daft! – Masamune scolded.

- Yokozawa-san, you'll do fine. – Ritsu said. – You've gone through so much with Nikko, it's stupid to back down now.

Takafumi was surprised to hear those words coming from the green-eyed man. He had never expected that Ritsu would say such things. And he had never even dreamed that his former love rival would give him support in his new relationship. He glanced at Masamune, who had also looked surprised at his lover's words, but was now smiling happily.

- Ritsu's right, you know. – He said.

- Yeah, yeah … - Takafumi muttered. – I'll go home now, I need to feed Sorata.

Takafumi couldn't sleep well that night. Despite knowing that Nikko was just fine and there was no risk for his health, he still felt worried about his young boyfriend. Moreover, he was still anxious from meeting Nikko's parents. He couldn't forget the distaste the two had in their eyes every time they had looked in his direction. Their later changed attitude didn't soothe him much, as it may have merely been an act on their part.

Takafumi lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. Though his physique was quite large, the bed seemed quite big and empty to him now. Takafumi had got used to having the teen's small, warm body next to him and now felt extremely lonely without Nikko.

He turned to the side to look at the empty space and saw Sorata sitting and scratching the sheet with its paw. The cat was a bit distressed the whole evening after figuring out that Nikko wasn't coming. Sorata had got even closer with Nikko since the boy had stayed with Takafumi and now obviously missed him.

- I feel the same way. – Takafumi muttered sadly and petted the animal on the head. – Don't worry, Nikko will be back soon.

Sorata fidgeted a bit longer until finally settling down on Nikko's pillow. The cat curled up in a ball and closed its eyes. Takafumi smiled sadly. He understood quite well what his pet was feeling.

Takafumi yawned loudly as he stepped out of the elevator on the third floor. He was sure he hadn't slept for more than an hour and was feeling awfully exhausted. He trudged sluggishly to his office, wondering if another cup of coffee would do him any good. He knew it would be bad for his health and that he should watch what he ate and drank, but he simply couldn't imagine how he was supposed to survive the whole work day on merely one hour sleep and a cup of coffee.

- Ah! Yokozawa-san! – Henmi exclaimed when he saw him. – Is everything alright?

- Yes. – Takafumi nodded.

- And … the call from yesterday …?

- Ah, yes, sorry to have worried you. – Takafumi said. – Everything is settled now.

- Good to hear. - Henmi smiled. – Oh, the printing order for the Sapphire department arrived. I left a copy of it on your desk.

- Alright, I'll look at it right away.

Takafumi went to his desk and sat down. He noticed that some of his colleagues kept glancing at him. It occurred to him that a lot of rumours must have spread after he had left the office the previous day. He wondered how much his co-workers had been able to guess. However, it didn't matter to him that greatly; his thoughts kept circling around Nikko. Was the teen still in the hospital, or have his parents taken him home already? Takafumi wanted to see him, but he felt uncomfortable with Nikko's parents around. Suddenly, a horrible thought came to him. Nikko had said some time ago that the reason he came to live in Tokyo because of his rapist. Now that the man couldn't harm him, maybe Nikko would return to Okinawa. What would happen if Nikko went back to his home town? Would the two still be together? Takafumi was sure he wouldn't be able to achieve it. He knew how jealous and insecure he could get and his partner living in another city was just adding fuel to the fire. He shook his head and sighed. He could already feel the worry creeping up in his chest.

Takafumi sighed and took the printing order from his desk. He read it, nodding approvingly. The Sapphire department were worse than the Emerald. Masamune and his so-workers at least had some salesmen blood in them, and usually the number of copies they requested were reasonable and close to what the sales department had in mind. But the women from Sapphire wanted to print as much copies as possible, regardless of what the sales data showed. And they were always ready to argue with anyone who disagreed with them. Takafumi often called them hexes in his head.

It was nearly noon when his mobile phone buzzed. Takafumi glanced at it and saw he had received a message from Nikko. The boy was out of the hospital and resting in his apartment at the moment. His parents were also there. The teen asked the older man if he could come for dinner that evening, after he finished work.

Takafumi wondered briefly if he should accept the invitation. Nikko's parents would surely be there as well – perhaps this was the reason why Nikko had invited him to dinner. He sensed it would be a quite uncomfortable evening, but this was a suitable occasion for him and the teen's parents to become closer. He texted Nikko, saying that he would come to the apartment at nine.

Takafumi felt uneasy the whole day and by nine he was terribly restless. He knew his nervousness wouldn't help make a good impression on Rai and Soma, but he couldn't calm himself.

He got out of the elevator and headed for Nikko's apartment. He reached for his pocket, but stopped before taking the key out. Nikko had given him the spare key for his home some time ago, but Takafumi was hesitant to use it. What would Nikko's parents think if they learned Takafumi had his own key? They surely wouldn't approve of it. So, he decided to ring the bell instead. Seconds later Nikko opened the door. He grinned widely and hugged the older man. Then he straightened up and kissed the older man.

- Yokozawa-san! – The teen exclaimed. – I missed you so much! How are you? How was work?

- Everything was ok at the office. I had mountains of work, as usual. – Takafumi replied.

Nikko took his hand and led him to the living room. Soma was sitting on a couch. He nodded after Takafumi greeted him, but didn't say anything. Was Nikko's father being hostile or was he just not the social type?

- My mom's still making dinner. – Nikko said as he and Takafumi sat down on the sofa. – She would have been finished already if she had allowed me to help. – He added pouting.

- You should be resting. – His mother had come out of the kitchen and was standing in the doorframe.

- I'm fine. It's just some cuts. It's not like I'm bed-ridden or anything. – Nikko complained.

He frowned and crossed his arms in a childish protest. Takafumi couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, thinking how adorable the boy looked.

- Maybe I could help then, since I'm in perfect health? – He suggested.

Rai nodded and returned to the kitchen. Takafumi got up and headed there. Before leaving the living room, he turned to look at Nikko and the boy gave him an encouraging smile.

- I'm almost finished. – Rai announced as he entered the kitchen. – I just need to finish the dessert and make the tea. The main dish is already done.

- Fried noodles with eggs and vegetables? – Takafumi smiled. – Nikko's favourite dish. It's probably the only food I've seen him enjoy eating.

- Yes. – Rai nodded. – Could you make the tea?

- Of course.

Silence fell in the kitchen. Takafumi couldn't come up with a suitable topic, so he just silently prepared the tea. He glanced at Nikko's mother. She seemed to know her way around the kitchen – after all, she and her husband owned a restaurant.

- Nikko told us about you. – Rai spoke suddenly. – He told us how you saved him three weeks ago. And how you've taken care of him even before you two … you know … - She paused briefly and then went on. – I have to admit, none of what Nikko told us was alarming in any way, but still, I hope you understand if we aren't completely at ease …

- Yes, I do. – Takafumi nodded. – I assure you that I love your son deeply and would never do anything to harm him. Of course, I'd understand it if you don't believe my words.

- Nikko trusts you. – Rai said simply.

- I know. – Takafumi replied.

He felt a bit embarrassed, having such a conversation with Nikko's mother. He was surprised that the teen had told his parents everything about them, although it was probably for the best to be completely honest about their relationship. Besides, Takafumi hadn't done anything that should make him feel ashamed or guilty. Still, he felt somewhat uneasy that a part of his private life had been revealed to people he barely knew.

- Tea is ready. – Takafumi said, placing the pot on the counter – he wasn't quite sure that he had made enough for the whole dinner, though.

- Well, then, I think we can begin dinner. I'll go and call the others. – Rai said and exited the room.

Takafumi leaned on the counter, feeling more nervous than ever. How was he supposed to have a normal conversation with Rai and Soma when he couldn't even stop his heart from racing? Still, there was no backing out now and Takafumi felt a bit secure knowing that Nikko would be by his side the whole time.


	10. Chapter 10

AN - Chapter 10 is here! I've re-read it at least four times and every time I didn't like something and changed it so finally I got fed up and uploaded it with the latest changes. Also, it might take me a bit longer than usual to post chapter 11 because it will contain lemon and I want to make sure it's as perfect as can be. :)  
Enjoy!

* * *

This time Nikko insisted he should help at least with setting the table. His mother tried to protest, but the boy was uncharacteristically stubborn. Takafumi had already noticed that Nikko acted much differently than usual around his parents. While normally timid, quiet and polite, the teen's attitude towards Soma and Rai was even rude at times. He often argued with them about the smallest things. But that wasn't much surprising – after all, Nikko was sixteen, it was only natural for him to be rebellious.

The dining table was just about big enough to accommodate the four of them. Each one occupied one side of the rectangular table. Takafumi noticed that Nikko dragged his chair closer to the older man's side when his parents weren't looking. He smiled lightly at the teen. He was surprised to see that his lover didn't look nervous at all and couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed that he himself was all worked up.

The four sat down and began eating. Takafumi took a bite from his plate. Nikko's mother was a marvellous cook. The meal was the best he'd ever tasted. It was a real wonder how Nikko had managed to remain so dangerously underweight. It was probably genetic.

- Oh, Yokozawa-san, have you fed Sorata this evening? – Nikko asked.

- Not yet. But I left him more dry food than usual this morning, so he should be ok for a couple more hours. – Takafumi replied.

- Who are you talking about? – Rai inquired.

- Oh, Yokozawa-san has a cat. His name is Sorata. He's very cute. – The teen replied and turned to Takafumi. – My mother likes cats - just like me.

- I see. – Takafumi commented. – But you've never had a cat?

- No, sadly. My mother had one – a beautiful Persian cat. – Soma said. – We saw how much care a pet like that requires and thought that we were too busy to have one.

- You can get a cat when you retire. – Nikko suggested cheerfully. – You'd have loads of free time then.

- We might consider it, if it would coax you into visiting us more often. – Rai stated. – You've been here for about two months and yet you've called us less than ten times. You didn't even visit us during spring break!

The teen blushed and looked away, embarrassed by his mother's scolding. Takafumi felt a bit guilty as well, knowing that he was the main reason why Nikko hadn't visited his parents. He thought grimly that Rai and Soma were very much aware of it.

- Speaking of which – Soma said, interrupting Takafumi's thoughts, - are you planning on returning home with us?

Nikko, who had just taken a bite, coughed loudly and spit the food out. He hacked violently and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He leaned back on the chair, staring at his father.

- You … what? – He stammered.

- Well, don't you want to return to Okinawa? – Rai asked. – Your family is there, after all.

- Yeah, but … - Nikko stopped abruptly and blushed.

He turned to look at Takafumi and the look in his eye was more than meaningful. The teen moved his lips silently, mouthing the end of the sentence: " … but you're here." Takafumi tried to smile encouragingly, but his features were like frozen. He had feared this moment would come. Nikko obviously didn't want to go home, but what if his parents made him? It would break Takafumi's heart if the two got separated. He closed his eyes briefly, trying not to imagine what would happen if he never saw Nikko again.

- Are you saying you want to stay here? – Rai asked.

- Well … yes … - The teen replied.

Rai and Soma looked at Takafumi, who blushed slightly. He knew at the moment the two blamed him for their son's decision. He was partly responsible for it, though he hadn't directly insisted that the teen remain in Tokyo. Nikko had often stated how much he liked his classmates and his Arts group. The teen was amazed how much more projects and opportunities he received here. So, truth be told, Takafumi wasn't the only reason Nikko wanted to stay, although he was the main motive.

- And why? Because of him? – Soma nodded to Takafumi.

- Yes. – Nikko replied. – Also, I like Tokyo. I like my school here, I like the people, I like the atmosphere. Besides, we are always talking that I should come and study here after I finish school. It would be good to stay, you know …

- And when were you planning on telling us? – Soma asked.

- Well, I … I was going to. But you were gonna over-react again. - Nikko muttered.

- We are your parents! I hope you realise we can't just accept what you said without the slightest worry. I mean, we're talking about you living almost a thousand miles away from us, at the age of sixteen, and with a much older man no less!

- Well, it does sound awful when you say it like that. – The teen admitted. – But I'm telling you there is no reason you two should worry. Yokozawa-san is really nice to me and cares about me very much. We've been together for about a month and we've spent most evenings together even before we started dating. If anything was weird, I would have noticed!

Rai coughed slightly and glanced at Takafumi. Her action wasn't unnoticed.

- What? – Nikko asked loudly. – What are you implying, mother? That Yokozawa-san has been deceiving me all this time?

Rai didn't say anything, but her behaviour clearly stated that she had no desire to deny her son's words. Nikko frowned and stood up. He looked terribly upset and had started to tremble. Takafumi noticed Rai and Soma looked startled by their son's action.

- Now listen here! – He cried. – I trust Yokozawa-san completely. He hasn't done anything to harm me, just the opposite! He's done so much to protect me. And it's not right, not fair that he should receive hatred, and not appreciation from my parents. – He covered his face with his hand, shaking violently. – I was raped when I was eight, yes, it was a terrible thing, but you know what is even more terrible? It's you two not allowing this to stay in the past and keeping it alive by trying to turn me into a distrusting, paranoid misanthrope who stays away from everyone. Yes, the rape was awful, but I see no reason it should ruin the rest of my life!

Takafumi quickly stood up, catching the teen as he swayed. Nikko buried his face in the older man's chest, weeping. He clutched Takafumi's shirt and in reply, Takafumi carefully wrapped his arms around the frail body. He couldn't believe Nikko was able to burst out like that. The sorrow in his voice was heart-breaking and could have put anyone in tears.

Takafumi helplessly looked at Nikko's parents. They were also shocked by their son's outburst and judging by their expressions it was clear that it was not their intention to upset him. Takafumi rested his hand on the teen's head, entangling his fingers in his black locks. He tilted Nikko's head back, so that the boy could look up and kissed him softly on the lips. He didn't care that Nikko's parents were watching them, it was as if his worries had vanished with the first liquid orb in Nikko's eyes and all that had remained was a desire to soothe his lover.

- It's not fair … - Nikko sobbed.

Takafumi helped him sit down again and poured another cup of tea. He lifted the cup to the teen's lips, urging him to drink. The boy took the cup from his hands, but he was still trembling and almost spilled the drink on his clothes.

- There, there … - Takafumi muttered softly. – Just take a deep breath to calm yourself and drink the tea.

Nikko followed his advice and soon he was breathing more calmly and wasn't shaking as much. He lifted his arm to his face and dried it with his sleeve.

- I'm sorry. – He muttered. – I've been thinking about this since yesterday. I guess it all piled up and just …

- I know. It's ok, you're feeling fine now, aren't you? – Takafumi asked, rubbing the teen's shoulders.

- Yes. - Nikko nodded. – I guess I just needed to get it all out of my system.

Takafumi smiled and caressed the boy's cheek. He glanced at the parents. He didn't blame them for Nikko's outburst, although he didn't like seeing his young lover so distressed. The teen looked so petite and vulnerable that Takafumi couldn't hold himself back from embracing him. Nikko smiled and leaned to his side, resting his head on the older man's chest. He looked up and smiled lightly.

- Nikko … - Rai spoke softly.

Takafumi felt the teen flinch. Nikko had apparently completely forgotten that his parents were also there. It had slipped Takafumi's mind as well in the last minute– he was fully preoccupied with consoling the boy.

Rai stood up and went to the couple. She gently brushed Nikko's bangs out of his eyes and then cupped his face. Takafumi tried to step back, to give the two some privacy, but Nikko tightened his grip unconsciously to stop him. The teen looked at his mother with sad eyes.

- Nikko, I'm sorry. – Rai said. – Your father and I only wanted you to be safe and happy. You understand that?

- Yes, I do, but … why don't you trust me? – The teen asked desperately.

- We are your parents. We worry about your wellbeing. – Rai replied. – It's not a matter of trust.

- But it is! – Nikko insisted. – I keep telling you that everything is ok, but you don't believe me! – He sighed sadly. – What do I have to do to make you see the truth?

He closed his eyes and sighed again. Takafumi noticed the boy looked very tired. He glanced at Rai and saw that she was as worried as him. He was also glad to see that the woman apparently realised her fault and secretly enjoyed seeing her guilty expression. It meant that she fully realised how much she and her husband had upset her son.

Nikko got up from the chair, supported by Takafumi. He glanced at his mother, then at his father.

- I … I'm really tired. – He said quietly. – I'll go to bed.

- Good idea. – Takafumi stated. – You've had a long day.

- Yes. We'll clear up the table here. – Rai said.

Nikko nodded and hugged his lover. He kissed him softly, and then headed slowly to his bedroom. Takafumi started to gather the empty plates to take them to the kitchen and wash them. He didn't want to stay in the same room with Nikko's parents without the teen, especially after the tense moment just a few minutes ago. So he went in the kitchen, sighing, relieved to be alone. He wished to go to his own apartment, but thought he should help with cleaning up after dinner. Besides, it would look very much like he had run away like a scared dog.

Letting the water run through his fingers, Takafumi was so engulfed in his thoughts that he didn't even hear when Soma entered the room. He jumped up startled, hearing a voice behind him.

- Thank you for doing the dishes. – Soma said.

- It was no problem. I live alone, so I'm used to doing housework. – Takafumi replied. – I suppose you are going to stay here for the night?

- No, there is no place for the two of us to sleep. We'll go back to the hotel. That's why I'd like to ask you to stay here. Rai and I are worried to leave Nikko alone, and we think he'll be much happier if it were you than us.

- I … uhh … of course that I'll stay, but … are you sure you want me to? – Takafumi asked hesitantly.

- Well, I still have my doubts, but I can clearly see that discussing the matter further will only upset Nikko. And all that I have seen seems to point that you truly care about my son. I only want to ask you to keep this relationship as discreet as possible.

- Of course.

Soma nodded and exited the room. Takafumi smiled lightly at himself, thinking that this was certainly an improvement. He was really glad that Nikko's parents trusted him enough to leave him alone with the teen for a night. He chuckled slightly, imagining Nikko's reaction when he told him.

After putting the plates in the appropriate cupboard, Takafumi returned to the living room and saw that Rai and Soma were ready to leave. He wished them a good evening and apologized a bit awkwardly for causing so much trouble. Rai smiled and assured him that out of the four Takafumi had the least fault. After the two had left, Takafumi went to the bedroom where he found Nikko lying in bed, still awake.

- You should sleep. – Takafumi said.

- I know. – The teen sighed. – Where are mum and dad?

- Oh, they just left, said they'll stay at the hotel. They asked me to look after you.

Nikko sat up in an instant, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping. After a few seconds, however, he grinned widely.

- That's awesome! Oh, you did it!

He leapt out of bed and ran to the older man, hugging him tightly. His face was beaming with happiness and pride.

- Ok, just calm down. – Takafumi said quickly, seeing how excited the teen was. – Come on, let's get you in bed.

- No, I want to hear everything. – Nikko said impatiently.

- There is nothing to hear. Your father just asked me to stay and look for you, saying that you'd prefer it if it were me who stayed. That's it. – Takafumi said while steering his lover to the bed.

- But that's good, isn't it? It means that they like you. – Nikko said with a muffled voice while crawling under the covers.

- At least they trust me enough to leave me alone with you the whole night. – Takafumi replied. – Which is a good progress, I assume.

- Yeah … - Nikko nodded smiling and then clapped his hands. – Oh, this is wonderful! I just knew my parents would come around once they got to know you. Of course, there was no reason why they wouldn't like you.

- Do you think they really do? – Takafumi asked quietly and sat on the edge of the bed. – Maybe they are just pretending, for your sake?

- I don't think so. They'd never be able to pretend, not in this case. – The teen said, though he frowned slightly.

He moved closer to Takafumi and wrapped his arms around him. Nikko then rested his head on the older man's shoulder and kissed the crook of his neck softly.

- You shouldn't get so worked up about this. – He said gently.

- Oh, then I should remain calm like you did? – The older man inquired jokingly.

The teen averted his eyes, blushing slightly. He chuckled quietly, although he looked a bit ashamed as well. Takafumi smiled and ruffled Nikko's hair, to tease his boyfriend even more. Nikko protested faintly, although it seemed more like playing along. He definitely seemed amused by the older man's action.

- I know I shouldn't have lost my temper like that. – The teen admitted. – But it all turned out for the best, didn't it?

- I guess. – Takafumi nodded. – But you should go to sleep now. I need to go and feed Sorata, and I'll return in a few minutes, ok?

- Ok. – Nikko said.

Takafumi kissed him and left the room. He went into his apartment, where he found an impatient Sorata. The cat was sitting next to the empty food bowl and was meowing eagerly.

- Sorry, sorry. – Takafumi quickly apologized. – Here, I'll give you some food right away.

He leaned on the counter, watching Sorata eat. He sometimes thought how much having a pet was like having a child – not that he knew first-hand what it was like to be a parent.

- You won't be lonely here, would you? – He asked.

Despite his work, which almost always kept him in the office until late at night, Takafumi almost always returned to sleep at home. After all, he had a cat to take care of. So Sorata wasn't used to being left alone at night.

- I have to go watch over Nikko. – Takafumi said. – I'll be across the hallway.

Sorata didn't even bother to look at him. Takafumi chuckled slightly at the animal's appetite. He refilled the water bowl with fresh water, checked to see if Sorata's toys were in accessible places, so that the cat wouldn't be bored the whole night, and then petted his pet one last time before leaving.

- You're still awake? – Takafumi exclaimed as he entered Nikko's bedroom.

- Yeah, I was waiting for you to come back. – The teen replied. – How is Sorata?

- I think he was a bit angry at me for leaving him so long without food.

- Did you tell him it's my fault? – Nikko chuckled.

- It wasn't. – Takafumi replied with a smile. - Now you go to sleep.

- What about you? – The teen inquired. – You need to sleep too. You have work tomorrow. – He scooted over to make space for the older man. – My bed is just big enough for the two of us.

- Alright. – Takafumi smiled. – Just let me get my pyjamas.

- You … you don't have to … - Nikko said quickly and suddenly blushed. – You could sleep in your … um … underwear…

He gave the older man an embarrassed, but at the same time longing look. Takafumi chuckled. Nikko had managed to express his desire to see him in his underwear in such a cute, innocent way. He took his coat off and loosened his tie, not removing his eyes from the staring teen. He noticed the joyful spark in Nikko's eyes and smirked. When he took his shirt off, he almost chuckled at the amusing mixture of excitement and embarrassment the teen showed. Nikko seemed torn between the desire to stare at Takafumi's torso and the desire to look away.

- You look a bit nervous. – Takafumi stated teasingly.

- Who, me? – Nikko said laughing anxiously. – No, I'm fine.

The older man chuckled. He also felt a bit uneasy, although he tried his best to hide it. This was actually the first time Nikko saw him half-naked. The teen always left the room whenever Takafumi changed clothes, probably feeling embarrassed. So now the older man was a bit scared, fearing that his young boyfriend might not find his body attractive. But now seeing how genuinely pleased Nikko was, he felt equally relieved and happy.

He lay down next to the teen and wrapped his arm around him. He saw Nikko was slightly blushing and sensed the teen's uncertainty.

- What's wrong? – He asked slightly worried.

- I was just … um … I … can I … - Nikko lowered his voice to an almost inaudible whisper. - … touch …

Takafumi smiled and nodded. Nikko slowly reached out and caressed the older man's stomach. His delicate fingers touched the skin gently, slightly tickling Takafumi. Nikko slowly moved his hands up to his lover's chest and then to his shoulders before finally stopping at the collarbone. The teen sighed sadly.

- It must be very annoying for you… - he muttered.

- What? – Takafumi asked confused.

- We've been going out for a month now and we haven't … done anything yet. I just thought that you might … I don't know …

- I am perfectly happy with the way things are right now. – Takafumi kissed Nikko's forehead gently. – I am fine with waiting until you are ready. Don't worry about it.

- Well, I think that I am … ready. I want to do it … with you. – The teen whispered and blushed intensely.

Takafumi was surprised to hear this. There had been moments where he just felt he wold explode with lust and desire, but he hadn't done anything because he knew that no matter what Nikko said, there were still wounds that needed to be healed. So he had patiently waited for those words. But now he found himself wondering whether Nikko's statement was sincere.

- Are you sure? – Takafumi asked.

Nikko nodded, his face still bright red. He then hesitantly started to unbutton his pyjama. The teen glanced at Takafumi shyly, as if to see the older man's reaction. Takafumi noticed that his hands were trembling. Nikko took the top of his PJs off, looking so visibly nervous that Takafumi just knew that if the two made love now, it would be a mistake. He grasped the teen's hands, stopping him.

- What? – Nikko asked a bit hurt.

- Your wounds. – Takafumi explained. – They might open up. Or at least they'll hurt like hell. I don't want to be the cause of it.

- Oh, yeah… - The teen muttered.

- So how about we wait until you are healed?

- Yeah, I guess. – Nikko sighed. – Are you ok with it?

- Of course, don't worry. – Takafumi smiled.

He kissed the teen softly and held him close. Nikko soon fell asleep with a smile on his face. Takafumi watched his sleeping face with love. He had decided not to tell Nikko the real reason, but made a mental note to talk to him in the morning. He was almost certain that the teen still wasn't emotionally ready for sex. Nikko was just afraid he'd lose Takafumi if they didn't do it.

Takafumi suddenly realised that this would be the first time Nikko would have sex willingly. He thought about how the teen would feel. He would surely be nervous, probably thinking he was doing something wrong. He would probably be scared too. Takafumi lifted the cover and looked a Nikko's small body, his thin waist and hips. It was going to hurt, wounds or no wounds, he thought sadly. The idea that he would cause his lover pain sickened him and he shook his head, dismissing his gloomy thoughts.

He definitely needed to talk with Nikko before doing anything.


	11. Chapter 11

AN - Woah, finally! Turns out it's really hard to write a lemon. :D This chapter is almost two times longer than the others, but I couldn't split it into two after I had promised a lemon in chapter 11. ;) I think it turned out nice, although I wouldn't have posted if it wasn't any good. :D  
Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

Despite his firm intentions, Takafumi couldn't bring himself to talk with Nikko about sex. He was embarrassed, because he wasn't comfortable with freely discussing such a topic, not even with his lover. He was glad to see that apparently Nikko also didn't have any desire to discuss their conversation. The following morning the teen was cheerful, like always. When Takafumi awoke, he found his boyfriend was already awake. Nikko, who was already fully dressed, smiled and asked the older man if he wanted coffee. He was so carefree and innocent that Takafumi ended up wondering if maybe he had actually dreamt about their conversation.

Nikko's parents – who had announced they'd return to Okinawa on Saturday - arrived shortly before Takafumi went to work. They warmly thanked him for taking care of their son. Neither Rai nor Soma showed any irritation with Takafumi. Nikko noticed that and it made him even happier. He suggested the four have dinner again that evening, and Takafumi proposed they had dinner in his apartment, since he didn't want to leave Sorata alone for two nights in a row.  
The second evening went by without any problems. Takafumi sensed that Sorata had played a large role in ensuring a peaceful dinner. Rai – who shared her son's love for cats – immediately beamed with glee when she saw the animal. Sorata seemed to like her as well, though he was a bit scared at first when she held him and cuddled him. For a moment Takafumi was a bit scared for his pet, seeing how the woman was a bit aggressive in her affection. Nikko obviously thought the same, because he swiftly freed the cat from his mother's grasp, claiming –quite falsely – that Sorata didn't like being cuddled.

Takafumi was glad that the pressure between him and Nikko's parents was gone, but nevertheless he felt extremely glad when they returned to Okinawa. Finally it was just him and the teen again. He knew it was selfish, but he had craved to be able to embrace and kiss his boyfriend without Rai and Soma staring at the two.

It was now Saturday evening and they were sitting in the living room in Takafumi's apartment. Nikko was sitting on the floor, playing with Sorata, while Takafumi was on the sofa, reading a book. The teen had recommended it, insisting that the older man would like it. Takafumi had doubted this at first and had agreed to read the book only because he didn't want to disappoint his boyfriend – Nikko liked reading western literature, while the older man preferred Japanese authors. However, he had later found out that the teen had been right all along. Although the plot was predictable at times, as a whole it was quite captivating.

- Yokozawa-san? – The teen suddenly called out quietly.

Takafumi looked up from the book and saw Nikko was staring at him. Sorata kept scratching his hand, eager for attention, but he paid no notice.

- Yeah, Nikko?

- Do … do you remember that talk we had on Thursday? – The teen asked a bit embarrassed.

The older man nodded carefully. How could he forget when it was all he had thought about? He still wasn't sure that he wanted to discuss it. He noticed that his lover was nervous, but still determined to have this conversation.

- I didn't want to talk about it while my parents were here. I mean, I don't think they'll be very happy with it. – Nikko rolled up his sleeve to reveal one of the bigger cuts he had received. – Look, it's healing! And it doesn't hurt – even when I press on it.

- I see. – Takafumi said.

He closed the book and put it aside. He was already beginning to grow nervous. What did the teen expect to hear? If he showed his eagerness, Nikko might be scared off by it. But not showing any enthusiasm at all would be equally devastating. His boyfriend was still sitting on the floor, on his knees, and was examining the cut. He glanced at the older man, hesitant. Takafumi thought how much he looked like a scared kitten at that moment. He smiled lovingly, although the nervous feeling in his guts hadn't vanished.

– I'm a bit scared. – The teen suddenly confessed. He was looking at the floor - an obvious sign that he was frightened of the effect his next words could have.

- Maybe that means you still aren't ready. – Takafumi said carefully. – If this makes you think about what has happened to you, maybe we should wait …

- Huh? Oh, no! – The teen interrupted him surprised. – I didn't mean that. I'm scared that … well, it's a bit hard to explain. But I want us to do it.

Takafumi stared at him. He couldn't fully understand his boyfriend's behaviour which was rare for him. Usually he quickly caught on to the teen's mood. He got up and went to the boy. Kneeling down beside him, the older man hugged Nikko and gave him a gentle kiss.

- What are you scared of then? – He asked.

- Well, it may sound stupid, but I … well, I have no experience in this sort of thing. I was just scared that if we do it, you might not enjoy it … - Nikko looked down at his lap, blushing fiercely. – I mean, I won't know what to do, which will probably be very annoying for you …

- Don't worry about it. You know I understand completely. – The older man replied with a smile. – In any case, you'll be bottom, so you won't really have to do anything. – He added, but immediately regretted the bold comment.

It took Nikko a few moments to understand the meaning of those words. He blushed even more and covered his mouth with his hands. Takafumi chuckled at the innocent reaction.

- You are amazing, you know that? – He said fondly.

- That's not true. – Nikko replied embarrassed. – You're the amazing one.

Takafumi felt his own face becoming warmer at the praise. Nikko didn't often compliment him. He preferred to express his affection through his actions. The older man had no problem with this – he thought that it would be too annoying if the teen constantly showered him with sweet words. He tried to do the same, but at times Nikko was too adorable and Takafumi couldn't keep his thoughts to himself.

- But look, Nikko, I think we need to talk about … what we are going to do. – Now he was really blushing with embarrassment. – I want to be sure that you really want to do it. I know that you are strong, but, well, if you want to go through with it just to please me then … we shouldn't. Trust me, it wouldn't lead to anything good.

Nikko didn't reply immediately. He shifted a bit in the older man's arms, in deep thought. Takafumi was looking at him with slight worry. It looked like he had been right and Nikko wasn't completely ready yet. He felt a bit disappointed at this – he had actually been quite excited about it for the past two days; but he knew that it was for the best.

- I want to. – Nikko finally said quietly. – Not to please you – well, I mean, I want to please you of course, but I do feel ready. I know it's gonna hurt – physically and probably emotionally as well. But it will hurt no matter when we do it, right? – He looked at the older man worried. – Or maybe … you don't want to do it with me? Maybe you don't find me attractive?

- Huh? What are you saying?

Takafumi was genuinely surprised by the question. He had never imagined that the teen would interpret his hesitance in such a way. At that moment he fully realised what this relationship truly meant to Nikko. It wasn't messing around or anything like that. Not that Takafumi had ever thought it, he had just never mused about it properly. He'd just accepted from the beginning that he and Nikko had a serious, loving relationship despite the boy's young age. He kissed Nikko gently on the forehead, knowing that if he didn't dismiss the teen's uncertainties they'd just grow and torture him ceaselessly.

- You are beautiful, as I've told you before. – He said softly. – I'd really love to have sex with you, and I am sure that I would enjoy it. The only reason I have been holding back is because I care about you and I know that this is a sensitive matter for you. – Takafumi squeezed the teen reassuringly. – You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. – He added sincerely. – I am never letting you go, remember that.

Nikko smiled modestly and wrapped his arms around the older man. He looked up to meet Takafumi's gaze with teary eyes.

- That was … very sweet. – The teen's voice was slightly choked. He wiped his eyes. – I'm really happy that I met you, Yokozawa-san.

Takafumi smiled lightly. He felt the same way. The older man doubted Nikko even realised how much he meant to him. He wanted to say it loud, but couldn't force himself to do something like that. He was pissed at himself for not being able to express his feelings properly at such crucial times and often thought slightly envious that Nikko was doing a much better job at being in a relationship despite having no experience in such matters. But the teen didn't seem to be expecting any reply – he responded to Takafumi's silence with a wide grin and nuzzled happily in the older man's chest.

By some silent mutual agreement the two dropped the subject for the time being. The weekend passed like usual. Nikko spent most of Sunday catching up with school, since he had missed two days and didn't want to fall behind. Takafumi tried not to disturb the teen. He knew that when it came to subjects Nikko wasn't particularly interested in, his boyfriend found it hard to concentrate. So the older man used the time to do some work as well. He sent a few e-mails and prepared his papers for a meeting he had on Monday morning. Then, seeing that Nikko was still buried in his schoolbooks, Takafumi decided to take a shower before making dinner.

He entered the living room twenty minutes later, brushing his slightly wet hair away from his eyes.

- Finally done! – Nikko announced and sighed. – Why do I have to learn things I'll never have to use in my job?

- Well, you'll never know. – Takafumi replied. – Besides, that's basic knowledge you ought to have no matter what your job is.

- I know … - The teen sighed tiredly.

He rubbed his eyes and yawned. He got up from the sofa and stretched, which caused his bones to crack rather loudly. Takafumi flinched at the sound.

- Why don't you do your homework on a desk or table? – He asked.

- I never liked it. – Nikko shrugged. – It's better on the sofa.

He smiled and stepped closer to Takafumi. Raising his hand, he ran his fingers through the older man's damp hair. His face was lit up, beaming with happiness and love.

- I think I'll go have a shower too. – He said softly and exited the room.

Takafumi tried not to imagine the teen washing his body and failed. He frowned, scolding himself for acting like a hormonal teenager. How the hell could he get turned on by a simple sentence! He exhaled loudly and scratched the back of his head.

Maybe the reason his mind could so easily conjure such thoughts and images was because … he really wanted it? He still remembered that dream he had weeks ago, but now this memory was more pleasant than embarrassing. After Takafumi and Nikko started dating, the older man often thought about the two of them making love, because he thought – and hoped – that this would be a natural continuation of their relationship. Of course, he wouldn't do anything without the teen's consent.

Nikko returned to the living room fifteen minutes later. He chuckled quietly, causing Takafumi to turn and look at him.

- You were standing in the same spot when I left. – The teen pointed out and frowned slightly worried. – Is something wrong?

- Nothing. – Takafumi replied with a small smile.

- But something's on your mind, right? – Nikko insisted stubbornly.

- I was just thinking about us. – The older man said.

- Us? – The teen was suddenly nervous. – Everything is fine, right? You are happy with me?

- Yes! Don't worry. – Takafumi quickly replied. – I was just thinking … what it would be like for the two of us to do it.

Nikko raised his eyebrows in surprise and blushed slightly. He averted his eyes and smiled lightly.

- Wow … - he muttered. – Really? – He asked, frowning a bit, and the older man nodded. – And … what exactly were you thinking?

- Nothing particular, to be honest. – Takafumi replied. – Just some … general pictures.

Nikko looked like he was expecting something more, but after a minute of complete silence it was obvious Takafumi had nothing to add. The teen looked kind of sad for a moment, but then smiled again.

- So, does that mean that you want me? – He asked.

- Of course. Why? Did you have doubts? – The older man asked.

- Well … - Nikko looked away again. – I … I've been thinking for some time … it's nothing really, just my silly mind …

- What is it? – Takafumi asked getting worried.

- Nothing serious… I guess it's natural for me to think it in this situation … - Nikko continued to mumble.

The older man went to him and grabbed his shoulders. His mind was in chaos. What was the teen talking about? Was he …. Was it possible that Nikko was having doubts about this whole relationship? Takafumi could feel his heart beating like crazy. He was sure his face was white with fear.

- Nikko, - he spoke with a quivering voice, - please, tell me. I need to know.

- It's impossible you know. – Nikko said quietly. – Impossible not to compare myself to Takano-san. And, well … we are nothing alike.

Takafumi stared at the teen's sad face, letting the words sink in. He was speechless. He was an idiot to just assume that Nikko would easily shrug off his past love like it was nothing. No one was able to do that.

- Why do you have to be alike? – He asked. – I love you for who you are and because of who you are. You are not a replacement to Masamune. But I can't deny my past. – He hugged the boy tightly and added quietly. – Does it bother you that much? That I was in love with him?

- At first, yes. Even before we started going out. When you told me that you loved him, I felt a bit … jealous, I think? I guess that's when I really started thinking how much I liked you. And after we started going out, it was a bit hard for me whenever we hung out with Takano-san and Onodera-san. I wasn't scared that I might lose you, but I couldn't help but think about … him and you. – Nikko chuckled softly. – A bit silly, I know. But now I think I'm ok with it. After all, you're twenty-eight. If I were your first love that would have been really sad, you know. Still, as I said, I can't help but compare me and Takano-san. I just … don't see why you love me.

- What? – Takafumi exclaimed. – Are you serious? You're intelligent, modest, nice, good-hearted, and very beautiful. You … you turned my life around. I truly think that it was fate when we met. And that's me saying it! – He squeezed the teen. – Believe me, if I had known all along that one day you'd be in my life, I would have never looked at anyone else and would have waited patiently for you.

- That's really sweet. But I wouldn't have wanted that. – Nikko smiled gently. – It's not a crime if you've been in relationships before.

He kissed the older man gently and Takafumi could smell his sweet scent. Nikko preferred it to the more masculine scents and it really suited him. Takafumi had always liked it, but at that moment it drove him crazy. He slowly ran his hand up and down the teen's back a few times, until finally resting it on his waist. His lips were already on Nikko's neck, gently touching every bare spot of skin they could find.

The teen gasped softly and then smiled. He rested his head on the older man's shoulder and closed his eyes. Somewhere in the back of his head, distant memories were crawling, urging to come to light, but the boy shrugged them off easily. He was happy and wasn't going to allow fear to ruin this precious experience.

Takafumi lifted Nikko's head from his shoulder and kissed him gently. He didn't plan on deepening the kiss but the teen wrapped his arms around the older man's neck and held his lips firmly on his own. He opened his mouth, urging, and Takafumi gladly complied. Their tongues danced passionately for some time before Takafumi moved away.

- If this goes on – he said slightly out of breath – I'll lose control.

Nikko just smiled and kissed him again. Takafumi squeezed him tight and moved his hand further down. He heard Nikko moaning in the kiss which encouraged him. Soon the teen broke the kiss and started running his tongue along Takafumi's neck. The older man shuddered at the sensation. It was quite pleasant. Nikko got on his toes and traced his lover's jawline with his lips, and then kissed his ear tenderly before slightly biting his earlobe in a teasing manner. Takafumi growled amused, a bit surprised by the teen's action.

Nikko took a step back and looked at the older man with sparkling eyes. He glanced at the bedroom door, and then back at Takafumi with an excited expression. The teen caressed the side of Takafumi's torso. Then, slowly and with slight embarrassment, he poked his hands under the older man's shirt. Takafumi smiled lightly, loving the feeling of the teen's warm, soft hands against his stomach. He felt he was getting harder and gritted his teeth. He knew himself quite well and though he was usually stoic, he couldn't restrain himself . Nikko was so alluring, and the fact that he didn't even realise it and was acting in an innocent, childish way was even more of a turn on.

He led the teen into the bedroom and sat down on the bed. The teen remained standing in front of him. Takafumi wrapped his arms around his slender waist and pulled Nikko closer. He rested his forehead against his boyfriend's chest, sensing the boy's rapid heartbeat.

- You are so lovely. – He muttered.

Nikko smiled and hugged the older man. His cheeks were slightly pink, which made him even more beautiful. He pulled away from Takafumi and took his sweatshirt off. He wasn't wearing anything underneath it. The older man smiled and caressed the smooth skin in front of him. He pulled Nikko closer again, lying down on the bed and allowing the boy to climb on top of him. The two kissed and Takafumi was surprised to discover that Nikko's hands were roaming freely all over his upper body. It seemed that for once the teen had managed to supress his shyness.

- You are … - He gasped and didn't finish. He could definitely feel the bulge in his pants.

Nikko looked down and smiled a bit embarrassed. The blush on his cheeks deepened. He lifted his hand, but his newly found boldness wasn't enough for him to place it on the desired spot. Takafumi helped him by taking his hand and guiding it, gently but firmly, and placing it on his hardened member. Nikko blushed. He could feel it even through the older man's pants. He ran a finger up and down a few times, his face getting redder with each passing minute.

- How are you? – Takafumi asked softly.

- I'm fine. – The teen replied.

The older man smiled and took his shirt off. Nikko quickly lifted his hand and caressed his lover's abdomen. Takafumi was watching the teen. Every time those slim fingers touched him, he felt as if a small explosion occurred in his mind. He noticed that Nikko seemed to want to touch him again, but lacked the courage to do so. The older man could help him again, but he was hoping that the teen would do it on his own volition.  
Nikko moved his hand down and caressed Takafumi's hip. He glanced at the older man and was relieved to see that his lover was enjoying himself. The teen was, understandably, quite nervous. He knew that there was nothing wrong with what the two were doing, and yet felt a bit embarrassed. But Nikko was determined to carry things out no matter what. After seeing his lover's content face, how could he give up in the middle?

Takafumi unzipped his pants, not removing his gaze from Nikko. He wanted to make sure that the teen wasn't uncomfortable. He felt a bit reassured by the teen's behaviour so far; he had expected that Nikko would be much more embarrassed and not so active. He saw the teen's eyes widen as he slipped his pants off. He was feeling a bit embarrassed himself. An unpleasant thought popped up in his head: What if Nikko didn't like his body? His boyfriend's actions spoke against it and there was nothing to indicate that the teen found his body anything less than attractive, but once the gloomy thought had appeared it was hard for the older man to shake it off.

Nikko reached out and carefully placed his hand on Takafumi's crotch. He traced the older man's length, thinking how hard he was. He glanced at his own lap – he was aroused as well. He looked at the older man hesitantly.

- It's ok if I … - He blushed and didn't finish.

Takafumi wasn't certain what the teen wanted to say. He frowned slightly, fearing that Nikko might not be able to see this through. His doubts immediately disappeared when the teen started running a finger along the rim of his boxers. The older man immediately understood what his boyfriend was thinking. He smirked and took the teen's hand. Holding tightly, he guided it, reaching into his boxers. Nikko gasped as he felt the bare skin in his palm. He blushed intensely as he wrapped his fingers around Takafumi's cock. His grasp was quite loose, as if the teen was afraid if he held him any tighter he might hurt him.

Seeing as it was a bit uncomfortable for Nikko to move his hand, the older man slid his boxers off. The teen widened his eyes.

- Oh, my … - He stared and suddenly blushed even more. – It's so big! Now I'm even more nervous to show you mine!

He looked away embarrassed. Takafumi chuckled and placed his hand under Nikko's chin, turning his head so that the teen could look at him.  
- Don't worry. – He said soothingly.

The older man smiled and kissed the teen gently. Then, realising that he had only been the recipient of affection, he decided it was time for Nikko to feel good as well. He grabbed the teen and made him lie down on the bed. Takafumi straddled him, but was careful not to cause the teen any pain – after all, he was much heavier than Nikko. He unzipped his pants and slid them down to his knees. He was glad to see that the teen was also hard. He caressed the bulge and Nikko moaned quietly. The older man smiled, the teen's moans were like music to his ears.

He stripped the boy of his boxers, causing Nikko to blush. He instinctively moved his hands to cover himself, but halted before doing so. Takafumi smiled at the teen's embarrassment. He rested a hand on the side of his face and kissed him passionately, invading his mouth with his tongue. At the same time he grasped Nikko's cock and felt the teen flinch at the touch. He began circling the tip with his thumb and smirked as his boyfriend began moaning louder and louder.

- Do you like it? – He asked.

Nikko nodded. Takafumi took off his pants and boxers completely and threw them on the floor beside his own clothes. He spread the teen's legs apart and then frowned, realising something.  
- I should have bought some lube. – He muttered.

- It would still hurt. – Nikko pointed out.

- Yes but it might help. – The older man sighed. – I don't want you to be in pain.

- It's ok, I'll survive. – Nikko hesitated a bit before speaking again. – They say that saliva also helps …

- They? – Takafumi asked confused.

- Well, I searched for some tips on the internet and found this forum site. – The teen blushed. – There were some really weird stuff there – I mean okay, I can accept that some people enjoy handcuffs and even whips, but some of the stuff I read sounded really … demented. – He shuddered. – But a lot of people have written about their own experiences and give some advice.

- Why? – Takafumi asked. – Why would you search for these stuff?

- Well, I told you. I have no experience. And I want you to enjoy this as well, so I just thought … - Nikko frowned sadly. – Are you mad?

- Of course not. I just … never thought you'd do something like this.

To be honest, he was a bit happy that the teen had gone to such lengths to ensure that their first time was good for the both of them.

- So saliva, huh? – He said.

- Yeah. – The teen nodded.

- You realise what this means, right?

- Yeah, I know what I have to do. – Nikko blushed. – But I haven't done it before, so it probably won't be very good. I'm not even sure it will fit in my mouth.

The two changed their position – Takafumi sat on the bed, leaning on the wall and Nikko kneeled in front of him between the older man's legs. He bent down and grasped his hardened cock. He stared at it for a few seconds to collect himself. Then he stuck his tongue out and ran it along the entire length. It wasn't so weird, as he had expected. This encouraged him and he opened his mouth wider, taking Takafumi's cock in. He wasn't used to stretching his jaw like that and he heard it cracking slightly a couple of times.

He moved his head up and down, licking and sucking. Unconsciously, he used his tongue as though he was licking a lollipop. He heard the older man moan quietly, which assured him that whatever he was doing, it was working.

Takafumi buried his hands in the teen's hair. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes, freeing himself from the visual picture and concentrating all of his being on the warmth of Nikko's tongue and the pleasant wet trail that was left behind it. This was inexperience – the teen was driving him crazy!

He could feel he would reach his climax soon if things continued the same way. Moreover, he could feel his sense slipping away. He had already lost all control over his voice, as he moaned repeatedly, filled with pleasure.

He unconsciously tightened his grip and pushed Nikko's head down, at the same time thrusting his cock as deep in the teen's throat as he could. A choking sound returned him to reality. Nikko quickly pulled away, coughing and gagging violently. He covered his mouth with his hands. Takafumi noticed he had goose bumps all over his body.

- … sorry … - Nikko muttered. – Gag reflex …

- I should be the one to apologize. – The older man replied ashamed. – I kind of lost control back then.

Nikko smiled and bent down to continue what he was doing. Takafumi quickly stopped him.

- I think it's wet enough. – He said with a smile. – Besides, if you go on like that we might be finished before we've even begun.

- Oh, come on! I'm sure it wasn't that good. – The teen mumbled blushing.

He lay down on his back obediently, spreading his legs. Takafumi pondered for a few seconds, before reaching a decision. He placed his index finger on the teen's lips and gently pushed it in his mouth. Nikko frowned confused, but his tongue was already dancing, covering the finger with saliva. Takafumi added his middle and ring fingers, smiling at the pleased face the teen was making.

Finally, the older man pulled his hand away, deciding his fingers were wet enough. He placed one on Nikko's entrance, not removing his eyes from the teen's face. He pushed in carefully, as a test, to see how the teen would react. Upon feeling the intrusion, Nikko immediately tensed his body, tightening his hole. He squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth. It was hard for Takafumi to push his finger any further, and doing so would hurt the teen immensely.

- Nikko … relax … - He said.

- I can't … help it. – The teen replied. – I try … but …

The older man moved his other hand to Nikko's chest, squeezing his nipple. He was relieved to see that the teen's features softened. He opened his eyes slightly, but since his eyes were teary his vision was blurred.

- Not so slow. – He said.

- What? – Takafumi said.

- Don't … Ah! – He slightly jerked his body up. – Don't push so slowly. Do it quickly.

- It will hurt. – The older man warned.

- It hurts now, - The teen pointed out.

Takafumi had to admit he was right. A swift intrusion would hurt more, but at least it would be over quickly. He nodded and thrust his finger, using all his strength.

Nikko screamed. His tears spilled out. The older man looked at him worried.

- I'm fine. – The teen muttered weakly. – Go on …

Takafumi nodded. He thrust in and out a few times with his finger, noting the small jerks following each thrusts. However, it seemed that the initial pain had died down.

- I'm putting another in. – He whispered.

- Don't tell me! – Nikko said. – I'll only tense up if I know it's coming.

The older man pushed a second finger in. It was even harder than the first time, because the hole hadn't stretched as much. Takafumi saw worried that he once again seemed to be more in pain rather than in pleasure. He wondered briefly if he should pull his fingers out. As if having read his thoughts, Nikko opened his eyes and shot him a determined glare. He shook his head slightly, indicating that his lover should continue his actions no matter what happened.

Takafumi pushed in and finally Nikko was either able to relax his body, or was too exhausted from the pain. The teen lay rather lifeless, but his hands were gripping the sheets tightly. Takafumi managed to push his finger completely in. He thrust a few times, causing the teen to wince quietly. When the older man began scissoring, Nikko once again tensed up.

Takafumi decided against adding a third finger, seeing as it wouldn't help much. He pulled his fingers out.

- How are you? – He asked softly.

- Fine. – Nikko said.

- I know that's not true. – The older man shook his head smiling. – Are you sure you want to continue? – The teen immediately nodded. – Okay then. Turn around.

- What? – Nikko asked. – Can't I stay on my back?

- It won't be much comfortable.

- That doesn't matter. Please. Just this time, I want to look at you. – The teen pleaded.

Takafumi was confused at first. Then it dawned on him. He realised how Nikko must be feeling. Aching, and expecting even more pain, the teen was understandably scared and sought support. He smiled and kissed his boyfriend on the forehead, then on the lips gently.

Nikko watched him with anticipation and slight worry. He was trembling a bit. Takafumi moved as slow as possible, giving the teen enough time to change his mind. However, despite being nervous, Nikko showed no signs of reluctance. He just gritted his teeth and nodded bravely. The older man smiled lightly.

He propped Nikko on his thighs, making sure the teen was as comfortable as possible. He placed his cock at Nikko's entrance, and stopped, looking at his boyfriend. Nikko nodded again, encouraging him to go on. The older man thrust in, at first slowly, but he remembered the teen's plea, and, tensing his body and summoning all his strength, he pushed his cock in with one thrust. He made no other movement, waiting for Nikko to become adjusted.

The teen screamed at the top of his lungs. The painful intrusion reminded him of his rape. He gritted his teeth, trying to push the nasty memories away. He took a deep breath and realised that the pain had decreased. Takafumi smiled and gently brushed the boy's sweaty bangs aside.

- Is it painful? – He asked frowning slightly.

- A bit. – Nikko admitted. – But it seems to be fading.

- That's good. Just say when you are ready.

Nikko closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He could feel his heart beating rapidly. The teen sighed loudly and nodded.

Takafumi started thrusting. As he began moving, the pain returned. Nikko bit his tongue, determined not to show how much he was in pain. He could feel his eyes beginning to fill with tears again and his palms hurt where he had dug his fingernails.

The older man realised what his boyfriend was hiding. He thought in panic how to help him relax. He tried going slower, but that didn't lessen the agony. Takafumi bit his lower lip in worry. He twisted his waist, first to the left and then to the right. At his last movement he heard the faint sob which escaped from Nikko's sealed lips.

Takafumi felt really guilty. He was enjoying himself – feeling Nikko tighten around his cock and his trembling body was quite arousing. He felt he was close to achieving an orgasm and felt terrible, knowing that at the same time the teen was writhing in pain beneath him.

Suddenly Nikko moaned in pleasure, breaking Takafumi out of his trance. The older man repeated what he had done. He felt his cock brushing against Nikko's prostate and the teen moaned again. Takafumi sighed, relief washing all over him. He grasped his boyfriend's cock, massaging it, as he hit the same spot again and again. He smirked, hearing the teen's moans becoming louder and louder.

- Ah … ah … Takafumi!

Just as Nikko shouted the name the older man felt something hot on his abdomen. He paid little attention to it. Hearing the one he loved calling him by his first name … this had never happened before. As much as he had enjoyed himself, nothing so far could be compared to the bliss of hearing those four syllables. He thrust a few more times with new found energy and soon reached his climax as well.

He closed his eyes, breathing heavily. He carefully pulled his cock out, so as not to harm Nikko anymore. The teen sighed, closing his eyes. Takafumi looked down and saw the white liquid, dripping from his stomach on to his boyfriend. A few thin white lines, delicate as spider webs, connected the two bodies.

- You … you called me by my first name … - Takafumi spoke gently as he lay down beside the panting teen.

Nikko gasped and covered his mouth with his hands, blushing.

- Really? I must have done so unconsciously. – He said ashamed. – I'm sorry.

- No, I liked it. – The older man smiled.

- Truth is, I've been calling you by your first name in my head for some time. – Nikko admitted quietly. – But I thought that it was too early and a bit … shameless to start using it out loud. It might sound disrespectful.

- Well, you can call me that on special occasions, when we are alone. – Takafumi proposed and smiled. – Say it one more time, please. But … say it in my ear.

Nikko snuggled closer and gently brushed his lips against the older man's earlobe. He gently whispered his lover's given name which sent a shudder up and down Takafumi's spine. He smiled happily and hugged the boy.

- How are you feeling? – He asked.

- Well, I'm dirty, sweaty, sticky, tired and hurt from the waist down. But … - Nikko smiled widely. – I feel incredibly happy. But I think I'll go take another shower.

He tried to sit up but fell back down, wincing.

- Ouch … - He groaned. – I can't imagine going to school tomorrow. Sitting on a chair all day … – He frowned sadly.

- If you're in that much pain tomorrow just stay here. – Takafumi said softly, feeling a bit guilty.

- I can't. – The teen shook his head. – I've already missed two days. – He smiled. – Don't worry, I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow.

- Ok then. – The older man watched Nikko's struggles to get out of bed. – Let me help you.  
He picked him up bridal style and carried the blushing boy to the bathroom. Turning the shower on, he regulated the stream until it was the right temperature. Then he dragged the teen into the shower cabin, supporting him with one arm. He noticed Nikko was blushing.

- Don't tell me you are embarrassed now? – He teased.

- Well, it's not something I would normally do. – The teen muttered.

- It's the same with me. – Takafumi said. – I never imagined I would be having a shower with anyone.

He kissed the boy gently and helped him clean his body from the cum. Then Nikko did the same for him. He held his shower gel bottle, smiling at the older man.

- No, no, no … - Takafumi said quickly.

- Please. It's bubble gum scented. – Nikko said pleadingly.

- I'm a mature, working adult. – Takafumi pointed out. – What if I go to work tomorrow smelling like bubble gum?

- Yeah, you're right. – Nikko nodded thoughtfully. – All of the women in the office will find you irresistible and I'll be really jealous.

He stuck his tongue out playfully and Takafumi laughed. He hugged the teen, enjoying the warmth of his body and the feeling of the water streaming down his skin.

After they had got out of the shower and had dressed, Takafumi changed the linen and told Nikko to lay down in bed and rest.

- Are you hungry? I'll make dinner and bring it here. You need to rest.

- You're acting as if I've been in a car crash. – The teen pouted.

- Well, I am responsible for your condition. – The older man said. – Now it's my job to nurse you.

He hushed Nikko's protests with a quick peck on the lips and left the room. He placed the dirty sheets in the laundry basket and went into the kitchen. Thinking that the teen might be quite hungry, he decided to make a quick dinner.

Fifteen minutes later Takafumi re-entered his bedroom, carrying a tray. He sat down beside Nikko, careful not to turn the tray over.

- I'm not that hungry, but I am really exhausted. – The teen said. – It's weird, thought, I was mostly just lying on my back. Why am I so tired?

- It was quite stressful for you. – Takafumi pointed out. – Now eat and go to sleep. Because if I see that you are even slightly unwell tomorrow I won't allow you to leave the apartment. – He threatened half-jokingly.

Nikko giggled and took a bite. The older man watched him with a smile. He was happy to see that the teen had forgotten the pain he was in less than an hour ago and now acted like usual.

- Hey, did … did you like it? – He asked uncertainly.

He knew it had been quite painful for the teen, but he hoped that it hadn't been a completely unpleasant experience.

- Of course I loved it. – Nikko replied. – It really hurt, but it was very good.

He smiled and hugged the older man. Then he suddenly looked up, having thought of something.

- You think the neighbours might have heard my screams? – He asked worried.

Takafumi shrugged.

- I don't really care. – He said honestly.

The two quickly finished their dinner and lay in bed, snuggling. Nikko cuddled as close as possible. He smiled at his lover happily. Takafumi smiled back and kissed the teen tenderly. Neither of them spoke, as both felt that any words would just ruin this perfect moment.

Nikko was apparently quite tired, because he soon drifted off. Takafumi was still awake, though his eyelids felt heavy. He buried his nose in Nikko's raven locks, sniffing his sweet scent. He fell asleep, his dreams filled with images of his love.


	12. Chapter 12

AN - Ok, this chapter may seem a bit random and I know I end it with a sort of a cliffhanger, but my lectures start again tomorrow and I wanted to post a new chapter before going back to uni. I've officially decided that I'd post two more chapters and finally finish the story.  
So, enjoy! :)

* * *

A few weeks passed. It was already May and the weather was beginning to warm up, much to Nikko's delight. He was quite busy at school, seeing as the end of the school year was fast approaching. The teen had to study extra hard to get better grades in his classes. Takafumi also had little free time because of his work, though that was nothing unusual.

- I'm home! – The older man announced one evening.

He had had a stressful day at work and was looking forward to a nice quiet evening with Nikko. He entered the kitchen and saw the teen had already prepared dinner. He smiled and greeted the boy by hugging him from behind and planting kisses on his neck. Nikko chuckled.

- Hey, how are you? – He asked cheerfully.

- Tired. You know, sometimes I think half the people working at Marukawa are idiots. – Takafumi complained.

- I don't think that's true. If they were really idiots, they wouldn't be working there, right? – His boyfriend asked chuckling softly.

- I guess… - The older man shrugged. – But they are certainly not in a sane state of mind. Thanks for making dinner, by the way.

Nikko smiled and kissed him. The couple sat down and started eating.

- How was your day? – Takafumi asked a few minutes later.

- It was ok. The weirdest thing happened.

- What?

- The teacher who is in charge of our Arts club had arranged for a few Arts students from every major to come and talk with us. He said it would be very useful for those who wanted to study Arts seriously. – The teen said.

- Isn't it a bit early for you?– Takafumi asked. - You still have a couple more years before going to college.

- I know. But I figured that after hearing what it was like to study Arts I might decide against it. So the sooner I made sure the better. – Nikko explained.

- That sounds reasonable. What happened then?

- Well, I stayed after school to listen. Fashion design sounds really interesting and quite fun. They even put on a show every year, but this year's show is already over. – He sighed sadly. – And then when they were finished we all started to leave one of the students approached me and said that he had recognized me.

- Huh? Did you know him? – Takafumi asked, feeling slightly jealous.

- Well, no, and I told him that he must have mistaken me for someone else. – Nikko said. – But then he insisted that he was right. Turns out he knows you too! He says you always visit Marimo books where he works.

The older man blinked a few times. An Arts student who worked at Marimo books? There was only one person who fitted that description. Takafumi cursed in his mind. He had nothing against Yukina, but he didn't like the thought of his boyfriend being acquainted with someone who looked like a dazzling Prince Charming. He had seen what effect the young man had on High school girls.

- He said he remembered me from that time we went in the store to escape from my rapist. But then I was too scared to pay attention to anything, so I didn't recognize him at all. – Nikko went on cheerfully, unaware of what was going on in the older man's head. – Then we chatted for a while. Turns out his major is oil paintings. Then we talked about our favourite artists and guess what?

- What? – Takafumi asked slowly.

- Our tastes are completely different! – The teen announced cheerfully.

- Is that a good thing? – Takafumi asked.

- Yeah, cause that way it's more interesting. – Nikko said smiling.

- I see.

The older man looked down at the table. Suddenly his appetite had disappeared.

There was no reason to worry, he told himself. Nikko was with him and he wasn't the type to cheat. Just because Yukina was good-looking didn't mean that the teen would fall for him. In fact, Takafumi was sure that with all of those girls swooning over the Arts student, Yukina was straight.

- Yukina-kun said that he and a few other students from his major were putting up an exhibition. – Nikko said. – And he invited me to go and see it. Wanna come?

- Ah, sorry but I'll be busy. – Takafumi quickly replied.

- It's during the weekend. – Nikko said. – It's ok if you're not interested in going though.

- Sorry. – The older man muttered.

The teen just smiled and assured him that he wasn't upset. Still, this made Takafumi think. He wasn't interested in art. He visited an exhibition with Nikko once, which had been the most embarrassing experience in his life so far. He couldn't comment on any of the paintings and felt half as smart as he was before visiting the gallery. His lowest point was when he thought a fancy trashcan was a sculpture. Nikko still chuckled every time he remembered it.

He had honestly tried to understand it, for the teen's sake, reading a few books and articles on Arts and Arts History. He hadn't achieved much.

Takafumi frowned slightly. He knew that this was only the beginning of his jealousy. He wondered if he should tell Nikko how he felt, but soon dismissed the thought.

- Oh, you must have had a terrible day. – Nikko stated sympathetically, noticing the older man's odd behaviour.

Takafumi was quiet most of the evening. He couldn't shake of the unpleasant feeling in his stomach. He was jealous, there was no doubt in his mind – he knew the symptoms all too well. And it was driving him insane.

He knew that it was natural for Nikko to have friends. He wasn't against it. He was actually fine with the teen hanging out with his classmates. But this friendship – could it even be considered friendship? – with Yukina scared him. Yukina was closer to Nikko's age, he was good-looking and he shared the teen's interests. As much as Takafumi hated to admit it, deep down he realised that Yukina would be a better match for Nikko. And this aggravated him.

His irritation reached its peak on Saturday, when Nikko left to visit the exhibition … alone. Takafumi had already arranged to meet with Masamune at their usual izakaya. He arrived there early and was just ordering his third beer when his friend arrived.

- What's happened? – Masamune asked directly, knowing Takafumi all too well.

- Nikko's off to an exhibition. – Takafumi said grumpily.

- So?

- He was invited by Yukina. You know, the guy in charge of the shoujo section at Marimo books. The one that looks like a prince.

- Oh, jeez, here we go again. – Masamune muttered and sighed. – There is no reason for you to worry, Yokozawa.

- Oh, come on! Right now Nikko is there with some guy who happens to be younger than me, better-looking than me and to top it all likes art, just like Nikko. – Takafumi sighed. – I have no chance…

- Why didn't you go with the kid then?

- Because Yukina knows me. If he sees us together … Look, I don't want everyone to know about me and Nikko, ok?

- I see. But really, there's no reason to be jealous. – Masamune said. – You and I both know that Nikko would never cheat on you. Look, the kid is allowed to have friends. That doesn't mean that he doesn't want to be with you. So don't overthink it, it will only cause problems.

- But what if he falls for the guy? – Takafumi asked depressed. – And don't say it's not possible.

- Nikko's not the type to cheat. – His friend repeated. – And you must remain calm. You are the older one in the relationship. If you are so nervous, what would Nikko think? He may think you are doubting his feelings to you or that you don't trust him.

Takafumi sighed. He knew that what Masamune said was true. But how could he remain calm! How could he not think about what Nikko was probably doing right now? More than an hour had passed – how long did it take to look at a dozen or so paintings?

Takafumi finished off his beer. He was already becoming slightly tipsy. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing.

- Come on. – Masamune said. – You look like you need some fresh air.

They paid and went out.

- How come you're not with Onodera? – Takafumi asked slightly chuckling.

- I thought you'd be pissed if he tagged along. – Masamune replied.

- I don't really care about Onodera anymore. – Takafumi shrugged. – I wouldn't have minded even if you've brought him with you.

- Wow … you sure have changed!

Takafumi shrugged again.

- I'm with Nikko and I love him. – He said sincerely and with warmth. – So whatever you do with Onodera … I just don't care about it.

Nikko came home in the evening. Takafumi had waited eagerly for the teen to return and grew anxious with each passing minute. The exhibition was in Tokyo, right?

He was slightly annoyed at Nikko for staying out so late and making him worry so much. The odd thing was, he was anxious no matter if he thought that the teen was alone or with Yukina. When the teen finally arrived home, he asked him a bit harshly where he had been.

- After the exhibition Yukina and I went to get something to drink. – Nikko said smiling innocently. - And the time just flew by!

- So … so you had a good time then, huh? – Takafumi asked, starting to feel terrible.

- Yeah. I really enjoyed talking with Yukina about paintings and artists. I promised to show him some of my sketches next time we meet. – The teen said.

- Ah … so you're going to see him again?

- Yeah, but I don't know when yet. – Nikko shrugged. – We just exchanged numbers.

Takafumi observed his boyfriend carefully. Nikko didn't look guilty, or as if he was hiding something. He seemed perfectly innocent and the older man doubted he was that good of an actor. This made him feel slightly better.

- And how was your day? – Nikko asked. – Did you have fun with Takano-san?

- It was fine. – Takafumi muttered.

The teen looked at him and frowned slightly. He stepped closer to his lover.

- Is everything alright? – He asked worried.

- Yeah … - Takafumi muttered, completely unconvincing.

Nikko leaned his head to one side slightly, frowning even more. Then he slowly wrapped his arms around older man.

- Ok, it's obvious something's on your mind. – He said carefully. – And for some reason you wanna keep it to yourself, so I'm not gonna press you to tell me.

He kissed his lover gently on the lips. He was so sincerely caring that Takafumi felt bad about feeling jealous. What was worse was that he was still feeling slightly annoyed. He sighed slightly angry with himself. Right now Nikko was showing him his pure love and yet the older man was still not satisfied.

- Look, you're right. There is something that's worrying me. It's completely stupid, though. – Takafumi said. – Well … you should know that I can very easily get jealous. Really , really easily. – He emphasized on his last words.

Nikko stared at him for a few seconds before gasping.

- Oh, my … You … Were you jealous because I hung out with Yukina today? – He asked. – Oh, Yokozawa-san! I love you dearly, so there is no reason for you to worry. – He kissed him again. – It's true that I had a good time with Yukina, but that's because he is an artist and does what I've wanted to do since early age. I liked talking to him, but that doesn't mean that I want to go out with him or anything. You are much more important to me than anyone and anything.

- I know this. True, I was scared at first, but then I realised how stupid it was to ever think that you might cheat or anything like that. And that's the whole problem, because I still feel jealous. This is so fucking stupid! – Takafumi exclaimed angrily.

- No, it's not. – Nikko quickly said. – Honestly. And … well, I suppose I wouldn't mind you being jealous. I won't give you any reason to be jealous, of course, but I wouldn't mind if you do it anyway. But it won't be good for you, you know.

- Yeah … but it won't be good for you too. You say that you wouldn't mind now, but you'll get fed up eventually with me obsessing over you. – The older man said sadly.

Nikko watched him for a few minutes, thoughtful.

- What makes you think that you are the only one who's afraid? – He finally asked. – Why do you think that just because I'm the younger one that automatically means that you're the one at risk?

Takafumi stared at his boyfriend speechless. Was Nikko saying that there were times when he also felt jealous? He had never given him any reason. He opened his mouth to speak but at that moment the teen continued.

- There are times when I feel a bit insecure. After all, there is a pretty huge age gap between us – we can't ignore it. And sometimes it just gets me down. I mean, sometimes I just feel that you might see me as a little kid and that you might want someone more … mature … But then you show me how much you care about me and all those thoughts just go away.

- How can you even think that I'd want anyone but you? – Takafumi asked.

Nikko chuckled.

- I could ask you the same question. – He said gently.

Takafumi blushed slightly in embarrassment.

- This is … - He shook his head. – Ok, I know what you're getting at. – He kissed the teen again. – I love you. Let's just … forget this conversation.

- Ok. – Nikko nodded. – If it will make you feel better, I won't hang out with Yukina anymore.

- No, if you want to, hang out with him. I think I'll survive it. – The older man smiled lightly. – And I shouldn't tell who you hang out with.

- Don't worry, Yukina is in a relationship and he loves his boyfriend very much. – Nikko said.

- Really? But Yukina always flirts with those girls in the bookstore.

- Yeah, but he told me that this way he sells more. – Nikko said and chuckled. - To be honest, I was quite surprised that Yukina was capable to lead these girls on. It's kind of … cruel. But anyway, you see that there is no reason to worry. He really loves his boyfriend, every time he talks about him he looks so happy! – The teen smiled. – And I really love my boyfriend too. – He whispered.

Takafumi smiled as well, leaned down and kissed Nikko. He couldn't believe how foolish he had been, thinking for even a second that Nikko might leave him for someone else. He squeezed the boy tighter.

- Let's do it. – He whispered in the teen's ear.

Nikko chuckled and nodded. He tugged the older man's sleeve, leading him to the bedroom. After that wonderful Sunday, the two had had sex a few more times. The teen had become quite bolder in bed, and yet he still managed to keep some of his innocence, which pleased Takafumi immensely. What bothered him was that it still hurt Nikko, although not as much as the first time. But the teen had assured him that he was fine and that the pain wasn't so intense and he could ignore it.

Takafumi lay on his back, bare-chested, enjoying the softness of his boyfriend's lips and the smoothness of his skin. He reached under the teen's shirt, slightly digging his nails in the smooth skin. By now he had realised that while Nikko couldn't stand some sorts of pain, he got very turned on by others, if they were delivered at the right time and place.

Nikko moaned and kissed the older man's neck, going down to his collarbone. He bit it lightly in a teasing manner. Takafumi groaned in pleasure. He pushed the teen to sit up and pulled his shirt off. He licked Nikko's stomach, going up to his neck. His boyfriend chuckled.

- That tickles. – He said and blushed slightly. – Can I ask you for something?

- Yeah.

- Can you … push your tongue in my … in my bellybutton? – Nikko asked and blushed embarrassed. – It's clean, I promise.

Takafumi chuckled.

- Who knew that you had such … kinks? – He asked.

- Hey! It's not kinky. Is it? – Nikko asked worried.

- Well, it's quite unusual. – The older man pointed out.

- Really? I've always fantasized about … oh! … - The teen gasped and covered his mouth.

Takafumi raised his eyebrows and smirked. Up to this moment his boyfriend hadn't confessed about having any sexual fantasies, especially not ones which included a weird tongue-in-bellybutton fetish.

- Fantasized about what? – He asked, filled with curiosity.

- Noo, it's definitely weird! Please don't make me say it out loud! – Nikko almost whined. – I'll die of embarrassment!

- Yeah, but if you say it, we may do it. If it's not too crazy, I mean. – The older man quickly added. – Besides, having fantasies makes me think that … you're not entirely satisfied with what we've been doing. I'm completely happy; to be honest, I don't have any unconventional sexual preferences, but I have no problem with you having some. – He smiled lightly at the teen. – Please tell me about your fantasy. It won't make me think any less of you, I promise.

Nikko blushed. He got off the older man and buried his face in his palms, trying to regain his normal skin colour.

- Alright! But … don't laugh or anything, okay? – He took a deep breath. – I'm not even sure that it's a sexual thing. I've just always wanted to … lie down and let someone fill my bellybutton with alcohol and then lick it out of it. – The teen blushed. – I know it's weird.

- No, it's not. It actually sounds … quite attractive. – Takafumi said. – We could do it.

Nikko widened his eyes. He blushed even more and then nodded shyly, looking away. Takafumi chuckled and got out of bed. He went to the kitchen and light footsteps behind him suggested that Nikko had followed him. The older man opened the fridge and looked inside.

- Ok, I have mainly beer. And some energy drinks and water. – He frowned. – I don't think that beer would do the work. I could go to the convenience store and buy some liquor.

Takafumi looked at the teen. Nikko stepped closer and wrapped his arms around his lover's waist. He muttered that the older man didn't have to do it, but Takafumi insisted. He was actually quite hooked on the idea.

- Oh, wait, I think I still have some champagne left from New Year's. – He said.

He took the dark bottle out of a cupboard. It was half-full and Takafumi thought that it would be sufficient. He slightly shook the bottle smiling lightly. Nikko blushed lightly and nodded.

They returned to the bedroom. Nikko laid back on his back, looking quite excited. Actually, he seemed happier than ever. Seeing his boyfriend so pleased, Takafumi scolded himself for not asking about his sexual fantasies earlier. He felt like a complete egotist, doing only what he had wanted.

He opened the bottle and poured the liquid on the teen's stomach. Even though he was careful, he still spilt the champagne on the bed sheets.

The older man leaned down and licked the alcohol. He wasn't sure if it was because this was the most arousing thing he'd ever done, but he found out that champagne tasted better when it was drunk that way.

- Ah … wow … - Nikko moaned. - … so good …

After three re-fills Takafumi finally rose up. He smirked at the teen's disappointed face.

- Do you want to switch? – He asked.

- Huh? – Nikko asked. – I … I can't! It's alcohol.

- I can go to the kitchen and bring some of your energy drinks. I know they're your favourite. – The older man said and smirked. – Or you could try with the champagne. I'm sure you've drunk alcohol before.

- I have. – Nikko admitted. – I haven't got drunk though.

- That's good. If you hear what I've done while drunk … but we're getting off topic here. – Takafumi said. – Now come on. I liked doing it and you should do it too.

Without waiting for an answer, he rested on his back and held the champagne bottle up. Nikko smiled embarrassed. He took the bottle and tried to pour some of the champagne on Takafumi's stomach. The teen gasped as he poured too much. The bubbly liquid poured down from the older man's torso on the sheets. Nikko covered his mouth with his hand.

- Oh, god, sorry! – He winced.

- It's ok. – Takafumi chuckled. – You know I've never done anything like this with anybody else.

- Really? You've never done anything … naughty? – Nikko asked surprised.

- Never. – The older man confirmed.

The teen looked slightly relieved. He started licking his lover's stomach clean. It felt really good, albeit it tickled slightly. Takafumi closed his eyes and smiled.

- This is making me really hard. – He muttered. – Your tongue is so soft.

Nikko was too busy licking so he just patted him on the chest lightly, to show that he had heard him. He had soon licked all of the champagne off and quickly poured more. Soon, the bottle was empty and Nikko was resting his head on the older man's moist and slightly sticky stomach. He was quite dizzy.

- I'm drunk, aren't I? – The teen asked.

- You look a bit tipsy. – Takafumi said. – But I know from experience that if you say that you're drunk, you aren't in fact. At least not that much drunk.

Nikko chuckled and sat up. He groaned quietly and grabbed his head. Takafumi quickly sat up and placed his hands on the teen's shoulder. He held him tight.

- Okay, maybe you are a bit drunk. – He said softly.

- Sorry. – The teen said. – But it was just so good.

- The champagne?

- No. Well, yes, the booze was quite tasty. – Nikko nodded. – But I meant that it was good to … do stuff to you. – When he saw the older man frown in confusion, he continued. – Every time we do it, it's you who … who … - he waved his hand - … who does most of the stuff. I give you a blowjob and touch you, but then I just lay on my back and you do all the work. And I keep thinking that I get more pleasure from it than you.

- What, you think that I don't get any pleasure from sticking it in you? – Takafumi kicked himself mentally for expressing himself so straightforwardly. – Anyway, don't think about it.

- I can't. – Nikko said sadly.

The older man kissed him gently.

- You're drunk and talking nonsense. – He said softly.

But he knew all too well that words spoken under the influence of alcohol were seldom lies. Almost always people said things while being drunk which they didn't have the courage to say while sober.

- Look, I've never felt happier in my life. – Takafumi said. – I love our relationship the way it is and I'd never change anything between us. And to be honest – he leaned closer to Nikko – I like it that I'm always the one in control.

Nikko's reddened face just became darker. He rested his head on the older man's shoulder and hugged him. He kissed Takafumi's neck gently.

- This is what I love the most about us. – The teen mumbled. – I get so nervous and worked up about the smallest things, and then I am scared to tell you, I agonize about how you'd react, and when finally, after an eternity of struggling, I tell you and … you just dispel all my worries like that. – The teen snapped his fingers. – You're just … so great!

Takafumi smiled.

- You know, you're really cute when you're drunk. – He said teasingly.

Nikk0 rubbed his nose, looking away. He chuckled embarrassed.

- I'm a bit dizzy now. – He said.

The older man told him to lay down for a while and rest. He smiled and caressed the boy's cheek lovingly.

- Can I ask you something extremely personal? – Nikko mumbled almost sleepily.

- Yeah…  
- You're twenty-eight. – The teen said. – And, well, I don't know at which age a person starts thinking about his life and his place in the world, but I guess it's around that age …

Takafumi stared at him. He wasn't sure where the teen was going with this but he didn't like his boyfriend's distant expression and dull tone.

- What are you saying? – He asked.

- Have you thought of … having a family? – Nikko asked.


	13. Chapter 13

AN - Ok, so far this is my least favourite chapter of the story, but I'm too occupied with my lectures and ideas for the next chapter (which will be the last for the story) to come up with something better. Yokozawa is **very** OOC here, beware!  
I'll try to post chapter 14 by the end of the week.

* * *

Takafumi stared at his boyfriend. He was positive he had heard wrong. There was just no way Nikko had just asked him such a question.

- What … what did you say?

- I asked you if you've thought about having a family. – Nikko said.

- Family like … like children and stuff?

The teen nodded. Takafumi felt he was beginning to blush. He didn't know what to think. Was the teen implying that he wanted the two to start a family? But that was impossible! Nikko was too young to be thinking or talking about such stuff. The boy was still sixteen – he was basically a kid himself!

- Look, this is a bit … embarrassing to talk about right now. And you're drunk. – The older man said.

The teen sighed sadly. Takafumi massaged his temples. He felt awful, but he didn't know what would happen if he decided to continue the conversation. He had never thought about this. Moreover, he wasn't sure what Nikko was expecting to hear and he didn't want to upset the teen by giving a wrong answer.

- You don't need to panic. I just wanted to know, nothing more. – Nikko mumbled suddenly.

- Well, I … I don't have an answer yet. – The older man said slowly. – I am sure that's what my parents expect me to do – settle down and have children …

- … and a wife, right? – The teen finished quietly, sighing sadly.

- … Yeah … I guess that's what they want … but don't let it bother you. I've never told them about my private life, so it's natural for them to assume that I would end up with a woman. – Takafumi said. – Why would you ask about these stuff anyway? Isn't it a bit early for you to be thinking about … well, children?

- I know I'm too young. – Nikko agreed. – And to be honest, I … well, I haven't thought about it seriously, but I am sure that I want to raise a child someday. But I won't be ready until I'm probably your age. And since I am hoping that I get to raise a child with you, I thought that I should ask you if you're ok with waiting ten or so years for it.

Takafumi was a bit startled. Of course, he had assumed that things between Nikko and him were serious and he wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. But he had never expressed those thoughts out loud and so far Nikko also hadn't said anything about it. He probably wouldn't have spoken these words if he was entirely sober. Nevertheless, Takafumi was glad to hear them. It made him hope about the future.

- So, you're saying you want the two of us to have a child one day? – He asked.

Nikko nodded, slightly blushing. The older man smiled. He really wanted to hear more about this. He knew that those were just the daydreams of a slightly drunk sixteen-year-old, but it was still nice to listen to them. The picture the teen painted was idyllic and Takafumi felt warm to think that someday the future Nikko was describing may happen.

- So, tell me, do you want a boy or a girl? – He asked.

- I'm not one of those people who prefer one over the other. – The teen shrugged. – But to be honest I think I'd do better with understanding and raising a girl. – He added a bit ashamed. – But I may change in ten years.

- So you want to have just one kid? – Takafumi inquired.

- Well, knowing what it was like to be an only child, I'd really like to have two kids. But, well, we're talking about stuff that won't happen for the next decade.

- I know, but I love to hear you talk about it. – Takafumi insisted.

Just knowing that the teen was thinking about their future was making him incredibly happy. He could picture himself and Nikko in ten years – oddly enough, in his mind twenty-eight-year-old Nikko looked pretty much like the modern-day Nikko – sitting in the living room with two children. He smiled at the teen.

- Please, it's really nice talking about it. – He said. – Come on, say something more.

- Well, alright … - Nikko thought for a few moments. - I'd really like for us to have a boy and a girl. Cause there are unique experiences with raising both, you know. I don't really care who the older one is. And I'd love to live in a house with a garden. It doesn't have to be big. – The teen chuckled. – That sounds a bit girly, doesn't it?

- No. – Takafumi said gently. – You can't believe how happy I am just to hear you talk about it. Even if I have to wait a hundred years for this, I will, because it would be worth it. The future you describe is just so beautiful and I really want it. – He smiled and laid down next to the teen. – Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with me?

- Of course. – Nikko grinned. – I love you.

- I love you, too. – Takafumi said gently. – Now, let's talk more about the future. You want to study Art?

- Yeah. I haven't decided on a major yet. I mean, fine Arts sounds nice, but Yukina said – and I had already suspected as much – that it would be hard to find a job after I graduate. And the image of a jobless, unrecognized artist is pretty much real, no matter how big of a cliché it is. – Nikko sighed. – I'd really love to be able to do what I want for a living, but I have to be reasonable. So, I think that fashion design might be a good idea.

- Have you ever thought of studying anything besides art? – Takafumi asked. – I'm not trying to make you doubt your choices, but if you think you might end up jobless, maybe you should choose another subject completely.

- Well, ever since I was a kid, I've wanted to be an artist. – Nikko replied. – But I guess if I have to study something else, I'd choose Psychology. More specifically, forensic psychology. – He smiled modestly. – I know it's a huge leap from art to psychology.

- That's interesting. – The older man said. – But you'd prefer to study art, right?

- Yeah. – Nikko nodded.

Takafumi smiled and caressed the teen's cheek. He really enjoyed their conversation. The two had spent a lot of time talking before, but they had mainly focused on the past. They had never talked about their future as a couple. Takafumi had assumed that Nikko was too young and he didn't want to scare the teen by talking about such mature topics. The two hadn't even discussed the fact that they were basically living together – after Nikko's parents had left, the teen almost never went to his own apartment. At the moment almost all of his clothes were at his lover's place. Takafumi realised that a month wasn't a long time at all when it came to relationships and he knew that the two didn't need to start living together so quickly, especially after Nikko's home was less than a minute away. Nevertheless, Takafumi was happy to be able to wake up next to the teen, to have dinner with him, to know that Nikko was waiting for him to come back from work every evening.

- I think I've sobered up a bit. – Nikko spoke softly.

He sat up and frowned. Groaning softly, he massaged his forehead and sighed.

- I'll go take a shower. – He muttered. – I just need to clear my head. And I'm all sticky from the booze.

He poked his stomach a few times, frowning slightly.

- I feel so dirty. – He complained. – I mean it in every sense of the word. I can't believe we did what we did.

- Didn't you enjoy it? – Takafumi asked worried and sat up.

- Oh, I did. I just never expected I would do something like this. – Nikko laughed a bit embarrassed. – You know, now that I look back, I think I've really changed after moving to Tokyo.

- Really?

- Yeah. The biggest change, of course, is that now you're in my life. But I also feel I've grown up – I'm more confident and more independent. – He blushed slightly. – That's not too shameless to say, right?

- No, don't worry. – Takafumi chuckled.

Nikko smiled and got out of the bed. He stretched for a while, sighing happily.

- Oh, man, this feels nice. – He mumbled.

He smiled at his lover and left the room, leaving the door open. Takafumi smiled and rested on his back. With a small soft thud Sorata jumped on the bed. The cat stepped closer and sniffed Takafumi's stomach. He chuckled and pushed his pet away, warning Sorata that his stomach was sticky.

Nikko returned twenty minutes later. Takafumi straightened up a bit to have a better look of the teen's gorgeous body. He licked his lips and smiled. Nikko noticed this and chuckled, blushing slightly.

- I can't believe someone so big and strong like you thinks I'm attractive. – He said embarrassed. He tapped his stomach a few times. – Finally it's non-sticky! I had to scrub for over ten minutes until I felt clean.

Takafumi laughed. He got off the bed and stepped closer to the teen. Then he tickled his young boyfriend. Nikko laughed and tried to push the older man away, but without much enthusiasm. The two wrestled playfully for a few minutes until the bath towel the teen had wrapped around his waist unwrapped and fell to the floor. Nikko gasped and blushed, instinctively covering himself with his hands.

- I've seen you naked before. – Takafumi reminded. – You don't need to cover yourself.

- I know, but it's different when we're about to have sex and just casually walking around nude. – The teen pointed out, as he was tying the towel in a tight knot around his waist.

- That's true. – The older man agreed. – But I don't mind seeing you naked. In fact, I rather like it.

- Shut up. – Nikko was really embarrassed. – You always make me blush.

- Well, you are cute when you blush. – Takafumi teased. – You know, sometimes I make you blush on purpose just to see your cute face.

- Then I'm just gonna stop blushing! – The teen pouted.

- I don't think you have it in you. – His lover kept teasing. – See, you're doing it right now. You look like one of those dolls with bright red circles on their cheeks.

- Stop it. – Nikko said, burying his face in his palms. – I think my face will melt.

Takafumi grabbed his wrists and moved them away. He softly kissed the teen on the lips , then on the nose, the cheeks and the forehead. He could feel Nikko's burning skin.

- Wow, you really are warm. – He commented. – Are you sure you're not getting sick?

- Yeah, I'm fine. – The teen replied. – It's all your teasing that did this. – He added and pouted.

The older man smiled warmly and held him close, squeezing the boy tightly.

- You know, I feel like I love you more with each passing day. – He said softly. – I'm really lucky to have found you.

- That's sweet. – Nikko smiled. – I'm really lucky to have found you, too. I really think of you as my guardian angel.

- Really?

- Yeah. I mean, I came here, to a new city, not knowing anyone and hiding from a man who had raped me and was now after me, and … I met you the very first day. And now I think that it was fate, you know. – Nikko smiled fondly. – I can't even imagine how my life would have been if you weren't here.

- Yeah, same thing here. – Takafumi muttered quietly.

Nikko suddenly frowned and took a step backwards, freeing himself from the older man's arms. He looked down and sighed.

- Oh, man, I'm sticky again. – He complained.

- I can fix that. – Takafumi said with a smirk.

With one swift movement he grabbed the teen and threw him over his shoulder. Ignoring Nikko's shocked reaction, the older man headed to the bathroom. He felt the teen was pounding his back lightly with his fists and chuckled. Takafumi released the teen only after the two had entered the bathroom and he had turned the shower on.

- Yokozawa-san! – Nikko exclaimed as they were standing under the water stream. – That was … unusual.

- Yeah, I don't usually do such things. But, well, that's what you do to me. – Takafumi smiled and kissed the teen. – Do you want me to scrub your stomach?

Nikko blushed and nodded shyly. Takafumi took a bath sponge and, after putting soap on it, he started rubbing his boyfriend's stomach with it, moving his hand in circles.

- You're acting really weird. – Nikko commented. – Don't get me wrong, this feels nice. I like it. – He took the sponge from the older man. – Now it's my turn.

Takafumi slightly blushed. He like the feeling of intimacy, but was a bit embarrassed by the fact that a sixteen-year-old was cleaning him. He was the (much) older one after all, he was supposed to take care of Nikko. But he was enjoying what was happening at the moment.

- I love you. – He said smiling.

- I love you too. – Nikko replied. – You know, I could say this to you every second. But that would probably be very annoying.

- It could never get annoying to hear you say you love me. – Takafumi stated.

- Yeah, but don't you think that saying it so often makes it lose its meaning? – The teen asked.

- I don't think so. Of course, you have to show your feelings as well, not just say them out loud.

- That's true. – Nikko nodded.

They finished showering and returned to the bedroom, where they dressed themselves. Takafumi looked at his bed and noticed there was still some champagne on the sheets.

- We'll need to change the bed linen before going to bed. – He said. – Unless you want to get sticky for the third time. – He teased.

Nikko chuckled. At that moment Takafumi's cell phone rang. He picked it up and saw that Masamune was calling. He exited the bedroom before accepting the call. When he returned later he saw that Nikko had already replaced the bed sheets with new and clean ones. He looked at the older man with curiosity.

- It was Masamune. – Takafumi expalined. – He had to take Onodera to the hospital.

- Oh, no! – Nikko exclaimed. – Is he going to be alright?

- He is. You see, he's just sprained his ankle … while trying to escape from Masamune's bed. He tangled his foot in the sheet and fell right on the floor. Can't say I'm surprised.

- Oh … - The teen tried not to chuckle but couldn't help himself. – Sorry, I'm an awful person for laughing at this, but Onodera-kun is really funny when he tries to push Takano-san away. Why doesn't he just confess, wouldn't it be simpler?

- For most people – yes. – Takafumi replied. – But Onodera is … well, an idiot. At least when it comes to Masamune.

- Well, that's love. – Nikko said smiling. – But I really wish that he'd just admit that he loves Takano-san. I can't imagine how he must be feeling.

- Masamune?

- Yeah. Sure, Onodera-kun loves him and he doesn't push him away so often now, but he should say how he feels. Imagine if we did all the things we do, but this time I never say 'I love you'. That's how those two are now. – The teen sighed. – It must really hurt Takano-san.

- I guess. – Takafumi said. – But, well, we'll just have to hope that Onodera comes around. I suppose there not much we can do to make him confess quicker.

- No, that would be bad. – Nikko nodded. – Onodera-kun should confess when he feels ready.

The older man nodded. He hadn't thought about it, but he had to admit that his boyfriend was probably right. He tried to imagine what he would do in Masamune's place – chasing after someone who, despite being in love with him, never actually admitted it. He had to admit that he'd probably lose his patience and punch Ritsu in the face. Frankly, that thought didn't seem as pleasant as it would have a few months ago. Takafumi looked at Nikko and smiled, happy with his boyfriend. He loved him so much!

- So basically what happens between Onodera and Masamune is none of our business? – He asked.

- Yeah. – Nikko nodded.

- So, we shouldn't concern ourselves with them. – The older man concluded.

- How can we not? – The teen asked. – I mean, they are our friends. I think that their happiness is also important to us.

- True. – Takafumi nodded.

- You know, I've met a lot of gay couples since I came here. I know about three – our, Takano-san and Onodera-kun, and Yukina-kun and his boyfriend - and I've seen a few others around the city too. – Nikko said. – I'm not saying it's weird or anything, it's just that I haven't seen any in Okinawa.

- Really? I haven't noticed any except those I know about. – Takafumi said curiously. – You're saying you've seen others?

- Yeah. For instance, there was this one couple in a café I went to one day after school. – Nikko frowned slightly. – But it was really hard to see they were together. I mean, most of the time the shorter guy kept sketching and I'm pretty sure he wasn't even listening. But the other guy seemed like he was used to this and wasn't annoyed at all. – Suddenly Nikko slapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes widening. – Oh, god, I'm such a gossip!

- No, don't worry. – Takafumi chuckled. – I asked you about it, so you told me. You weren't a gossip.

- I'm sure I was a bit of a gossip. – The teen said a bit ashamed.

The older man smiled and kissed him. Nikko was so cute, even when he was embarrassed with himself. He was slightly flushed, with his lips pressed tightly and his delicate eyebrows knitted together. The teen was so adorable even now! Takafumi hugged him tightly.

- Ow! Too tight! – Nikko said.

- Sorry.

Takafumi loosened his grip, but didn't let the teen go. He ruffled his hair playfully. Nikko chuckled. He rested his head on the older man's chest and sighed happily.

- You know, sometimes I just can't believe that we are together. – Takafumi muttered. – You're perfect.

Nikko blushed intensely. He looked down, mumbling something inaudible, making the older man chuckle.

- How can you be so cute? – He asked.

- It's not like it's intentional. – Nikko mumbled. – I don't even know what it is that makes me so … 'cute'.

- Everything. – Takafumi replied softly. – And now you're even cuter when you blush so brightly!

He squeezed the teen again and started kissing his bright red face. Nikko smiled happily and closed his eyes, enjoying every moment. He wrapped his eyes around his lover's waist, pressing his body hard against the other. Takafumi moaned, without ceasing his kissing.

- Ok, we might need to change the linen again pretty soon. – He said huskily.

- Huh? – Nikko frowned slightly for a moment and then understood the meaning behind those words. – Oh! – He blushed again.

- Want me to carry you to my bed? – Takafumi asked with a smirk.

Nikko chuckled and went to the bed. He sat down and looked at his lover, patting the mattress beside him. Takafumi smiled and went to the teen, bending down and kissing him passionately. He climbed on the bed, making Nikko lay down and hovering over him. The teen embraced him, pulling him closer. He started biting the older man's neck lightly. Takafumi smirked.

- Guess we won't get much sleep tonight. – He muttered happily.


	14. Chapter 14

AN - I'm so sorry for posting this later than I had promised, but I've been sick for a few days. Anyway, this is the last chapter of my story, though I may write and post one-shot sequels in the future.  
Enjoy! :)

* * *

- Ok, I think everything is ready! – Nikko announced happily. – I just need to lay the table.

- Let me do it.

- No, it's fine, I'll do it.

- Come on, you're the birthday boy. – Takafumi kissed Nikko gently.

- Not for another two days. – The teen reminded him. – Wait for the fifteenth, then you can be my slave.

He stuck his tongue out playfully as he was placing the plates and silverware on the table. Takafumi smirked, anticipating his upcoming slave role.

- I still don't understand why we couldn't celebrate your birthday in my apartment. – He said.

- Well, it's my birthday, so I figured it should be in my home. – Nikko replied.

- I'm a bit nervous that you've invited Yukina. – Takafumi muttered. – I'm not jealous, I understand that he's your friend, but he'll surely figure out that we are together.

- And you have a problem with that? – Nikko asked absent-mindedly while he was folding napkins, making them to look like flowers.

- Well, not really. – The older man muttered. – But are you okay with him bringing his boyfriend? You haven't even met the guy.

- Yukina showed me a sketch he'd made of him. – Nikko said. – Besides, having another teenager won't make me feel like a child on my own birthday.

- Remember, you still have two more days till you turn 17. – Takafumi teased.

- You know what I mean. – Nikko said blushing slightly.

- Yeah, yeah … so how old is Yukina's boyfriend exactly?

- I don't know. I haven't actually asked Yukina anything about him, I just figured it would be too personal to do so. But from what I could see from the sketch he looks about 17 or 18, 19 at the most.

Takafumi shrugged. He didn't actually care whether Yukina would come with boyfriend or alone, but he was really hoping that everything would turn out alright. Nikko had decided he wanted to have a birthday party with his friends and had invited Ritsu, Masamune and Yukina. When Takafumi asked why he hadn't invited any of his classmates, the teen had replied he wasn't that close with anyone at school. They had decided to celebrate on July 13, two days before his actual birthday, because Nikko and Takafumi were invited to Okinawa for the teen's birthday. The older man had learned that one of Nikko's cousins had had a baby on the same date, and for that reason the whole family were gathering to celebrate. Takafumi was rather nervous to meet … well, all of Nikko's relatives, though he was still quite relieved by the fact that he now had the teen's parents behind his back. And Nikko had confided in Takafumi that his grandmother – the one who had owned a cat – already approved of him.

The two had spent the whole day preparing different snacks. Since most of the guests were adults, Takafumi had made sure there was lots of alcohol. He'd even bought a bottle of champagne and constantly teased Nikko with it, reminding him of what they had done a couple of months ago.

Takafumi went to the living room and saw the dark blue paper bag he had placed on the sofa. He had retrieved it from his apartment a while ago, when he had gone in there to 'check up on Sorata'. It was Nikko's present. Takafumi desperately hoped his boyfriend would like it. He had never been so nervous about buying anyone a gift before.

- Hey, Nikko, could you come in here for a second? – He called out, hiding the bag behind his back.

- What is it? – Nikko asked curiously as he entered the living room.

- Uh … well … dammit! Here … - Even though Takafumi had spent a great deal of time planning exactly what to say while handing his gift, somehow the words didn't want to escape his mouth, so he ended up giving Nikko his present accompanied by a soft curse.

Nikko widened his eyes. He blushed lightly and thanked his lover.

- You haven't even seen it yet. – Takafumi stated with a smile.

- I know I'll like it. – The teen said. – You know me so well that … Oh!

He stared at his present with his mouth gaping. Takafumi had bought him a black-and-dark-blue sweatshirt with cat ears sewn on the hoodie. Nikko stared at it, wordless.

- Um … do you like it? – The older man asked quietly.

- Of course! It's awesome! It's … - Nikko threw himself at his lover, kissing him passionately. – Where did you find it?

- I ordered it from this online shopping site and had it delivered to the office. – Takafumi explained. – I thought you might like it.

- I love it! This is the best present I've ever received! – Nikko exclaimed cheerfully.

He quickly put the sweatshirt on and pulled the hoodie over his head.

- How do I look? – He asked excitedly.

- You're cute as always. – Takafumi replied with a smile. – I'm glad you like it. I didn't know what else to get you.

Nikko smiled and kissed him again. Just as Takafumi started wondering if they had some free time before the guests arrived the doorbell rang. He cursed softly while Nikko went to open the door.

- Takano-san! Onodera-kun! Welcome! – The teen exclaimed and hugged the newly-arrived.

- Hello! – Masamune smiled as he handed him a package. – That's from the two of us. Onodera and I spent a lot of time searching for it. It was a very nice date. – He winked at the green-eyed man beside him, who blushed, embarrassed. – We hope you like it.

Ritsu nodded at his lover's last words. Nikko smiled and opened his present. He blinked a few times, blushed and then chuckled embarrassed. Takafumi went to them and peeked in the box over Nikko's shoulder. His eyebrows rose in surprise. He glanced at Masamune, who chuckled.

- We were wondering what to get. I suggested we buy Nikko something you both might use.

- And you thought fuzzy handcuffs were the ideal gift? – Takafumi asked frowning. – Besides, we don't do such things in bed!

- A bottle of champagne would have been more useful. – Nikko nodded. – But Yokozawa-san's already taken care of that.

- Yeah, Ritsu was also against it. So we also bought you this.

Ritsu handed the teen another package he'd been hiding behind his back. Nikko chuckled and thanked them, taking the second gift. He opened the box and took out a silver chain with a blue circled symbol dangling from it.

- That's awesome. – Nikko said smiling. – Thank you. – He saw Takafumi's confused expression and explained. – This is the arc reactor from Iron Man. We watched the first and second movie last month. And we agreed we'd go see the third movie when it came out.

- Was it the one about the drunk in the robot costume? – Takafumi asked, frowning slightly.

Truth was, he had enjoyed the movie, but he didn't like the fact that Nikko seemed to like the actor who had played the main character. He knew it was petty of him, that's why he hadn't said anything to the teen. Meanwhile Nikko was showing off his new hoodie to the editors.

- Look what Yokozawa-san gave me. – He said cheerfully.

- We know. – Ritsu chuckled.

- Yeah, Yokozawa kept bugging us asking what he should buy you and when it was finally delivered he called us and we spent the next 30 minutes assuring him that you'll like it. And it was the end of the cycle no less!

Nikko laughed and showed them to the kitchen. The two editors sat down on the table while the teen fussed around asking them what they wanted to drink. Masamune chose to drink beer while Ritsu wanted a soda.

- Who else is coming? – Masamune asked looking at the two empty chairs.

- I invited Yukina – I think you know him – and he's bringing his boyfriend. – The teen replied.

- Oh … - Masamune grinned. – So there'll be three couples who madly love each other around the table.

- Takano-san! – Ritsu exclaimed blushing.

- Aww, is Onodera-kun still in denial? – Nikko asked chuckling. – You know, I would have accepted a confession to Takano-san as a present. Would have saved you a lot of money.

Ritsu stiffened up and averted his eyes. He was determined not to let the teasing get to him. However, neither Masamune nor Nikko seemed to be discouraged by this, as they continued mercilessly to tease him. Takafumi just sat there, drinking a beer and chuckling.

When the doorbell rang again Nikko stood up to go answer the door and Takafumi stayed in the kitchen, wondering what Yukina's boyfriend might be like.

- So I guess you aren't jealous anymore? – Masamune asked him.

- I'm not. – Takafumi replied shortly, not wanting to go into detail.

- It helps that Yukina has a boyfriend, huh? – His friend smirked.

- Yeah. – Takafumi muttered.

- I don't think you'll ever need to be jealous of Nikko. – Ritsu said quietly.

- That's true. – Masamune nodded. – If you remember, I told you this a couple of months ago.

- Yeah, yeah …

Nikko entered, followed by Yukina and … Kisa Shouta. The three men in the kitchen stared at the newly-arrived. A second later, chaos ensued.

- Kisa?!

- Takano-san? Ricchan? Yokozawa-san? – Kisa's face was flushed.

- Wait … are you going out with Yukina?

- Huh? You already know each other? – Nikko, who wasn't sure what exactly was going on at the moment, asked surprised.

- Kisa works in our department. – Ritsu explained. – He's also an editor.

- Really? – The teen was evidently shocked. – Wait, how old do you have to be to work as an editor?

- About that … – Takafumi said. – He is actually thirty.

- What? – Nikko cried out astonished. – But he looks … I thought … - He flushed and covered his eyes with his hands. – This is so embarrassing!

- Completely embarrassing! – Kisa muttered. – Oh, god, I can't believe my boss saw me with my boyfriend. – He whined and hid behind Yukina, who had remained in silent shock. But his boyfriend's words brought him back to reality.

- Huh? Kisa-san! Are you saying you're ashamed of me? – Yukina asked.

- No, of course not. – Kisa quickly replied. – It's just … unexpected.

- If it's any consolation, we are all here couples. – Nikko said.

Ritsu immediately choked on his drink. He glared at the teen, grimacing and gesturing him to shut up, but Masamune quickly wrapped an arm around his lover and hushed him. Meanwhile, Kisa was immediately drawn to Nikko's words.

- What do you mean? – He was back to his normal gossipy self, his eyes darting from one person to another, pairing them in his mind.

- Well, Yokozawa-san and I have been dating for a few months now, and Takano-san and Onodera-kun would be in a relationship if Onodera just confesses, but he's too stubborn. – Nikko explained, earning a glare from both Ritsu and Takafumi. – What? We found out about their relationship, it's only fair that they know about ours.

- Hah, I knew it. – Kisa giggled and pointed to Ritsu. – I knew there was something between you and Takano-san.

- Huh? – Ritsu blushed while Masamune was laughing his ass off. – How could you have known?

- Oh, like it's not obvious! No one else talks back to Takano-san like you do without getting punished. – Kisa said.

- Oh, Kisa, believe me, he does get punished. – Masamune smirked.

Kisa giggled and then turned to Nikko and Takafumi.

- Wow, Yokozawa-san, I'd never expected you to be dating another guy. Especially someone so young. – He grinned. – Guess we both like younger ones, huh?

- Yeah … - Takafumi muttered.

He was still a bit surprised to discover that Kisa was Yukina's boyfriend, but he didn't blame Nikko for thinking that the 30-year-old was still a teenager. Kisa was the famous baby-face of the Emerald department and a lot of people were fooled by his looks.

- Wait … didn't I introduce you two to each other? – He asked, frowning slightly.

- Yeah. We started dating soon after. – Yukina nodded as he and Kisa sat down.

- Aw, so you were a matchmaker. – Nikko chuckled.

- That's true. Kisa-san and I owe you one. – Yukina grinned.

- Oh, this is like a triple date. Isn't this exciting? – Nikko clapped his hands cheerfully.

Everyone except Ritsu nodded. The green-eyed editor was still quite shaken that his relationship with Masamune had been revealed to another co-worker. He was looking at the table with a burning face.

- Ok, soooo … I wanna know everything! – Kisa exclaimed. – How did you guys – he pointed at Nikko and Takafumi – meet and what's going on between you two? – He pointed at Ritsu and Masamune.

- But, Kisa-san, you'll have to tell your story as well. – Nikko stuck his tongue out and Kisa and Yukina nodded. – Well, Yokozawa-san and I are neighbours, so we met on my first day here. Then there was some … trouble and Yokozawa-san helped me through it. And we just got close.

- So when you came to the bookstore with him and wanted to go out the back door, you were really running away from someone? – Yukina asked. – I thought it, but I didn't really believe someone was after you.

- Yeah, we were running away from my former teacher. – Nikko nodded and his smile faded a bit. – He raped me when I was eight.

- Oh! – Yukina and Kisa exclaimed.

- But everything's ok now, the guy's in jail. – Nikko quickly added. – So let's not talk anymore about it?

- Sure! – Kisa quickly turned to Masamune. – What about you and Ricchan?

- Well, it's a long story. – Masamune said, pulling Ritsu closer. – We went out in High school and we would still be going out if it weren't for a small misunderstanding.

- Aww, you're high school sweethearts! – Yukina exclaimed cheerfully. – How cute!

- It would have been cuter if Ritsu hadn't got it in his head that I didn't love him and kicked me and ran away. – Masamune said half-jokingly.

- Aww, Ricchan, how could you? – Kisa asked grinning.

- Everyone shut up! – Ritsu pouted. – We're here because of Nikko's birthday! Why am I in the centre of attention?

- Oh, I don't mind. – Nikko quickly said. – Now, Onodera-kun, tell us more about how you're totally not in love with Takano-san.

Ritsu mumbled something annoyed and everyone snickered.

- Now come on, stop teasing Ricchan so much. – Masamune said playfully. – He'd blame me for it.

- I already am! – Ritsu snapped.

- Huh? How is it my fault? As if you weren't expecting this when Nikko invited us.

- Hey, don't put the blame on me! – Nikko joined in laughing. – I wouldn't be teasing Onodera-kun if he had confessed. So, when you think about it, Onodera-kun, you are guilty one.

- Yup.

- That sounds about right.

- Yeah.

Takafumi chuckled, although he felt slightly bad for the editor. He also didn't like it when people kept bugging him about his private life. He glanced at Nikko and was relieved to see that the teen seemed to be having fun. He was a bit worried when Yukina and Kisa had arrived, but everything seemed to have turned out alright.

- Takano-san and I aren't even going out! – Ritsu said desperately. – Why don't you tease Yokozawa-san and Nikko … eek! – He shrunk under Takafumi's glare.

- Go ahead. – Nikko smiled and leaned back on his chair, sipping an energy drink. – Tease me about how much I love Yokozawa-san and how I'm not afraid to say it. – He stuck his tongue out at the blushing Ritsu. – So, go ahead.

Ritsu frowned annoyed and crossed his arms. Masamune grinned and wrapped an arm around his love, pulling him closer. He playfully licked Ritsu's cheek.

- There are five more people here. – Ritsu whined. – Why are you messing with me?

- Cause you're the only one getting worked up, Ricchan. – Kisa said chuckling. – It's the same at work, too.

Ritsu blushed even more and shrunk in his seat.

- Looks like we found someone who blushes even more than you. – Takafumi told Nikko. – But you're still the cuter one.

- Huh? Who decided that your boyfriend was cuter than mine? – Yukina and Masamune asked in unison.

- Well, first of all, I didn't say anything about Kisa. But he is thirty so he can't even compete with Nikko. – Takafumi stated. – And Onodera isn't technically your boyfriend, Masamune, but even if he was, my boyfriend is still cuter.

- Yokozawa-san … - Nikko mumbled blushing. – Come on, I'm not cute.

- You're definitely cuter than everyone else at the table. – His lover said.

- You may think so, but the others don't. – The teen pointed out. Then he grinned mischievously. – Or what, you want other men to think that I'm cute?

- Definitely not! – Takafumi snapped quickly.

The others laughed.

- So, Yokozawa-san is the jealous type, huh? – Yukina asked.

Nikko, Ritsu and Masamune nodded. Kisa raised an eyebrow at his co-workers, wondering why they were nodding too. Meanwhile Takafumi frowned and crossed his arms, annoyed. He knew that he was jealous and possessive, but he believed that he had managed to keep these traits under control. And he didn't want this part of him to be revealed to two people he barely knew.

- Aw, don't be upset, Yokozawa-san. – Nikko hugged him lovingly. – You know that a little healthy jealousy now and then isn't a bad thing.

The teen kissed his lover's cheek gently and rested his head on his shoulder.

- You're a really cute couple. – Kisa smiled.

- Thanks. – Nikko said. – You and Yukina are cute together too.

- Hey! What about me and Onodera?

- I'll say you two are cute when Ricchan says he loves you. – The teen announced and Kisa nodded in agreement.

The five stared at the green-eyed man in anticipation. Ritsu blushed and tried to stand up, but Masamune's hold on him was firm, so the younger editor remained in his chair. He shot a spiteful glare at his boss, but didn't say anything.

- Look, guys, cut Onodera some slack. – Masamune said. – If you keep this up, he'll never say he loves me. He's like a small animal, if you keep bugging him he'll run away.

Nikko chuckled.

- Aw, we're just trying to help you two. – He said.

- I'm actually in it for the fun ... Ouch!

Takafumi rubbed his the side of his torso, where Nikko had nudged him with his elbow. He quickly explained he was joking, but Masamune was still glaring at him. Yukina decided it was time to change the topic.

- So, Nikko, now you're seventeen. – He said.

- Not yet. My birthday is on July 15. – Nikko replied.

- Then why are you celebrating it early?– Kisa asked. - That's a bit unusual.

- Yeah, but Yokozawa and I are going to Okinawa to celebrate it with my family. But I wanted to get together with you guys, so we decided to celebrate it a bit early. – The teen explained.

- Oh, so you're meeting the family! – Kisa exclaimed.

- Well, I've actually already met his parents. Now I'm meeting … everyone else. – Takafumi shuddered a bit.

- Don't worry, everything's going to be alright. – Nikko said gently. – Besides, everything was fine with my parents, right?

- Yeah … - Takafumi mumbled.

The teen smiled and patted his hand soothingly.

- Don't worry, if you've gone past the parents, you're pretty much ok. – Yukina said.

- And my grandma already likes you. – Nikko reminded. – So don't be so nervous. And if you have to be nervous, it's still too early for that. We'll arrive at my parents' home tomorrow evening and you'll meet everyone the next day. There's no reason to spoil today with nerves.

Takafumi had to admit he was right. There would be plenty of time for him to be nervous. The trouble was that that time was in the very near future. He choose not to say anything and finished his beer in one gulp. He stood up and went to get another can.

- Yokozawa-san, I can't believe you are scared of meeting your boyfriend's relatives. – Kisa said. – I mean you have such a scary reputation at work.

- Work is different. – Takafumi replied as he returned to his chair. – Besides, if I act like I'm at work, it won't be very good. I don't want Nikko's family to think of me as a grumpy bear.

The teen chuckled.

- That's a very cute nickname. – He stated and hugged his lover. – My grumpy bear!

Takafumi blushed and looked down, embarrassed that everyone would see his red face. He stood up again, excusing himself, and went to the bathroom. He splashed some cold water on his face, hoping it would quickly return to its normal colour. He didn't mind Nikko using a cute nickname when he addressed him, but he was uncomfortable with other people witnessing it. Granted, the teen certainly had no intention to embarrass him and the others obviously didn't mock him, but Takafumi still felt uncomfortable. He just wasn't that type of person to show off his relationship to outsiders.

When he returned he saw that everyone was talking about shoujo manga. He raised an eyebrow at Nikko. He knew that the teen occasionally read manga, but shoujo definitely wasn't his favourite genre. He often complained that the heroines were either too girly, or too unreal. But at that moment he seemed genuinely interested in what the others were talking.

- I can't believe you don't like shoujo manga. – Yukina said, turning to Nikko. – Though, really, most of my customers are girls.

- I prefer more serious themes, stories which can make me think. And shoujo manga is … well, it's … - Nikko shook his head. – I won't say anything because I'm afraid I might offend you.

- Don't worry, we won't be offended. Ricchan here hadn't even read shoujo manga when he came to work at our department. – Kisa said and chuckled. – You probably prefer BL.

- I do like it more. – Nikko admitted. – But to be honest, I don't read manga that much.

- I bet Yokozawa-san doesn't let you have much free time. – Kisa chuckled.

Takafumi glared at him, but he didn't seem to notice. Meanwhile Nikko blushed and smiled shyly, causing Kisa to snicker again.

- I don't think this is an appropriate conversation topic. – Takafumi said sternly.

- Aw, come on, we're all men here. – Yukina defended his boyfriend.

- Yeah, and since Ritsu insisted that today Nikko should be in the spotlight … - Masamune ruffled his lover's hair and didn't finish his sentence.

- Yes, but you can't ask him about these stuff! – Takafumi growled. – Does he ask you how you are in bed?

- Why are you answering for him? – Masamune asked, raising an eyebrow.

- Well, this also has something to do with me. – Takafumi pointed out. – And I'm not comfortable with sharing details about my private life.

- Yeah, he's right. – Nikko squeezed his hand. – It's too personal.

- Ohh, but it's so thrilling! – Kisa said. – Finding out about Ricchan and Takano-san, and then you and Yokozawa!

- You know, you really ought to move to the Sapphire department. – Takafumi said. – You'll really fit right there with those gossipy gorgons.

- Yokozawa-san, that's a bit mean! – Nikko exclaimed.

- Well, those women are awful.

- I agree. – Ritsu said. – They always tease me!

- Ricchan, everyone teases you. – Kisa pointed out. – There's just this … quality in you that makes people do that. Even a sweet kid like Nikko.

- At least Onodera-kun has a knight in shining armour to defend him. – The teen said.

- Eh? Takano-san? He teases me the most!

Everyone laughed.

- That reminds me – I was very surprised to see Yokozawa-san and Ricchan sitting at one table. Rumour is around the office you two don't get along. – Kisa said, barely able to hide his curiosity.

- Yes, I used to hate him. – Takafumi replied shortly.

- But then he met Nikko. – Masamune added and raised his beer, nodding to the teen.

- Ohhhh, you mean … - Kisa was sharp enough to understand the hidden meaning – you and Yokozawa-san and Ricchan? A love triangle? Why am I hearing about this just now?

- Did you miss the part where I said I didn't want to share details of my private life? – Takafumi asked. – But since that story is long over now, here's the short version – he was already quite tipsy, otherwise he wouldn't have said anything - I loved Masamune and hated Onodera, then he rejected me, I was depressed but I met Nikko and fell in love with him. That's all.

Nikko glanced at him, slightly frowning. He knew his lover was rarely this open and he immediately suspected it might have been the beer that had loosened his tongue. He gently took the beer from Takafumi's hand.

- I think you may have had too much. – He said softly. – Eat something.

Nikko took a sip from the beer and frowned in dislike.

- I can't believe you like drinking beer. – He said.

- Wait for a couple more years and you'll like it too. – Yukina said.

- I can live with the bitter taste. But I get this heavy feeling in my stomach every time I drink beer.

- You've got a girl's taste. – Kisa chuckled. – I bet you like champagne, wine and liqueur.

- Well … yeah … - The teen admitted blushing slightly.

- There's nothing wrong with that. – Masamune smiled.

Takafumi smiled and ruffled Nikko's hair. The teen smiled and hugged him.

- Are you having fun? – Takafumi asked him.

Nikko nodded. He was still holding the beer can and occasionally sipped from it. Takafumi had found out that his boyfriend had some sort of immunity to beer. While he could get drunk from half a bottle of champagne, the teen was strangely unfazed after drinking beer. He only complained about feeling bloated and heavy, but not drunk. Takafumi found this completely amazing.

The two hadn't planned for it, but the celebration continued the whole night. The six talked about everything they could think of – recent events, politics, weather, work, school … Yukina and Nikko had a sketching contest, using the others as models and later on judges. The contest ended in a draw – Kisa voted for Yukina, Takafumi voted for Nikko and Ritsu and Masamune both confessed they knew nothing about art and couldn't decide who was better. A few times one of them would go to the convenience store to buy more food and booze. By 4 a.m. everyone was quite drunk. They were sitting in the living room: Nikko was lying on the sofa with his head on Takafumi's lap, Yukina and Kisa were sitting on the floor, cuddling, and Ritsu was dozing off in Masamune's arms.

Nikko lifted his head a bit and chuckled.

- When I invited you, I thought this was going to be mature. – He said. – But now look at us …

- I remember having those kind of parties in High school – all night drinking and eating. – Kisa rubbed his cheeks. – Aw, man …

- But everyone had a good time, right? – Nikko asked a bit worried.

- Yeah, yeah, it was quite nice. – Masamune smiled as he hugged Ritsu tighter. – Right, Onodera?

- Mmmm …. Takano-san …

- Does he always do that? – Takafumi asked.

- Not always, but quite often. – Masamune replied. – Every time he says my name, I feel like I love him more. – He gently stroke his lover's hair and kissed the top of his head.

- Ok, it's really late … or rather, very early … You still haven't prepared your luggage. – Takafumi told Nikko.

- Oh yeah … - The teen sighed. – I guess I could sleep for a few hours … don't want my parents to see me tired or hung-over. – He sat up and yawned. – What about you guys? Onodera-kun is already sleeping and I think Kisa-san looks pretty sleepy too.

- We can take a taxi and go home. – Yukina said and Masamune nodded in agreement.

-Why don't you stay here? – Nikko suggested. – I mean, Yokozawa-san and I can go to his apartment and two of you can sleep in my bed and the other two here – my sofa can turn into a bed.

- That's actually a good idea. – Kisa mumbled.

- Yeah … - Masamune nodded.

- Well, let's get you to bed. – Takafumi took Nikko in his arms and stood up. He quickly hushed the teen's protests. – I know you can walk, but I love you, so just let me do it. Guys, I'm leaving this place to you. – He turned to the four men. – See you later.

He entered the bedroom and placed Nikko on the bed. The teen rolled to one side and sighed.

- I hope everyone had fun. – he mumbled.

- They did. – Takafumi assured him. – Now go to sleep. You need to be fresh.

- You too. – Nikko pointed out. – Come here.

Takafumi laid down next to him. He dragged the teen closer and held him tightly, burying his nose in his hair.

- How do you manage to smell so nice even after a whole night of drinking? – He muttered sleepily.

Nikko didn't answer, he just smiled and nuzzled closer. Yawning quietly, he kissed the older man's neck gently, wishing him good night.

When Takafumi awoke a few hours later, the first thing he realised was that he had a terrible headache. The second thing he realised – someone was cooking. At first he thought it was Nikko, but then he saw that the teen was still sleeping, slightly curled up next to the older man. Takafumi smiled gently at the sight, before remembering someone was still cooking in his kitchen. He quickly jumped out of bed and headed out of the bedroom.

He entered the kitchen and halted. Ritsu, Masamune, Kisa and Yukina were fidgeting around the room, preparing breakfast.

- What's going on? – Takafumi asked, feeling his headache getting more painful.

- We're making breakfast. – Masamune said. – Is Nikko still sleeping?

- Yeah. But I'll have to wake him up, he needs to start packing soon. – Takafumi replied. – Thanks, by the way.

- Oh, hey, guys! – Nikko had come in. – Oh, you made breakfast! How nice!

- It was nothing. – Yukina said. – Besides, we were hungry too.

- Can I help?

- Oh, it's almost finished. – Ritsu said. – There's not much left to do.

The teen sat down on a chair. Takafumi noticed he looked a bit tired. Hopefully after a good, nutritional meal and a nap in the airplane, Nikko would be back to normal.

- Hey, you still need to pack your clothes. – Takafumi said.

- Yeah, I know … - Nikko sighed. - I think I'll take my hoodie.

- It's the middle of July! You won't need it.

- I still wanna take it. – Nikko stared sadly at his lover, making puppy eyes.

- Dammit … Tsk, fine … take it …

The other laughed at the little scene. Masamune even patted the teen on the back, grinning.

A few hours later, with fully-packed luggage and no headaches, Nikko and Takafumi boarded the airplane which would take them to Okinawa. They found their seats and settled down, Takafumi graciously allowing Nikko to sit by the window.

- You should try to sleep during the flight. – The teen advised.

Takafumi nodded and leaned back, closing his eyes. He wasn't that tired, but he was already quite nervous, so he figured a nap would do him good.

The second the plane started moving Nikko grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. Takafumi looked at him and smiled.

- Don't tell me you're afraid of flying? – He asked.

- I'm not afraid, but I am quite nervous. – The teen admitted. – And I get this terrible headache …

- You could do with some sleep too, you know.

Nikko nodded and rested his head against the older man's shoulder. Soon after that, both were asleep.

When they landed they were greeted by Nikko's parents at the airport. This time Rai and Soma were genuinely friendly and civil, much to Takafumi's delight.

The car ride to the house was just as pleasant, with only one uncomfortable moment. That was when Rai mentioned that she had prepared the guest bedroom for Takafumi and in his surprise Nikko had blurted out that he had expected he'd share one bed with his lover. Of course, his parents weren't thrilled by the idea, but they wisely remained silent.

When they arrived to the house, Nikko raised the question about the guest bedroom again. His mother decided it would be better not to argue about it, but she managed to pull Takafumi aside when Nikko was distracted and asked him to behave appropriately until he was under her roof. He assured her that she had nothing to worry about, choosing to omit any details about his and Nikko's activities in the bedroom … and the bathroom … and the living room sometimes …

Takafumi and Nikko took their bags up to Nikko's room. The older man looked around the bedroom curiously. He had seen Nikko's bedroom in his apartment in Tokyo, but this room was different. This room here actually showed the evolution from a baby to child and then to teenager. There were a couple of shelves with old toys – cars, soldiers, robots … The walls were covered with posters, pictures and photos. The whole room had a very nice atmosphere. The only thing which seemed out of place was a large vase full with flowers, standing on a side table near the bed. It was probably placed there by Nikko's mother shortly before they had arrived.

Nikko looked around his room.

- My room … - He mumbled as he sat on the bed. – I've got so many memories here …

- I bet. – Takafumi said.

He was busy looking at the photos. Nikko was present in most of them, though there were a few which he apparently had taken personally.

The teen stood up from the bed, went to his lover and hugged him from behind, kissing the back of his neck softly.

- How are you? Still nervous? – He asked.

- A bit. – Takafumi replied. – But I'll be fine, don't worry.

- You want to take a shower and then go out for a bit? – Nikko suggested.

- That would be nice. – The older man smiled. – This is my first time in Okinawa.

The two spent a couple of hours walking around the city. Nikko showed Takafumi his old school, the café he liked visiting with his friends, his favourite painting in the art gallery, his favourite park … The older man loved seeing all the places his boyfriend had visited. Even though he and Nikko had talked a lot about the teen's life in Okinawa, this walk somehow made it real.

When they came back, they helped Rai make dinner and discussed the next day during the meal. The house was big enough for the whole family to gather and the children – most of Nikko's cousins were younger than him – could play in the garden. Hearing this, Takafumi could sense he was getting more nervous. He had no idea the teen had so many relatives!

After dinner Nikko dragged Takafumi out in the garden for a small walk. It was already dark, but the night was quite warm. The garden was beautiful and well managed.

- This is really pleasant. – Takafumi muttered. – How do your parents manage to take care of it while running a restaurant?

- My grandmother and one of my aunts help my parents. – Nikko explained. – I used to help too, but I'm not very good at it. Seems like I don't have what they call a green thumb. But I really like hanging out here.

- I can see why. – The older man stated.

Nikko smiled and took his hand.

- I know that you're still nervous, and I really appreciate it that you agreed to come. – He whispered. – I promise I'll be by your side the whole day to give you strength.

- Thanks. – Takafumi smiled.

He wrapped an arm around Nikko's shoulders and pulled him closer. Sighing, he kissed the top of the teen's head, feeling the black locks tickling his face.

- Let's go inside, it's pretty late. – Nikko spoke softly. – And tomorrow will be quite a busy day, so we should get a good night's sleep.

They returned to the bedroom. Nikko had promised his parents that they'd leave the door open, although Takafumi suspected that he'd stay up late just to close it after his parents had gone to bed. It didn't matter, though, the older man had promised Rai that he wouldn't do anything. Besides, even if he hadn't, he would still feel uncomfortable with messing around with Nikko while the teen's parents were in the same house. He feared that they might walk in on the two. Takafumi wouldn't be able to look Rai and Soma in the eyes afterwards.

- Happy birthday … this time for real! – Takafumi kissed the teen the next morning.

- Aw, thanks! – Nikko chuckled. – Mmm … how I wish I could stay in bed all day! But we have to help my mom. - He sighed as he got up.

After the two had breakfast, they spent the next few hours preparing everything for the celebration. The older man couldn't help but notice that his boyfriend seemed excited. The teen was cheerfully running around the house, decorating it with whatever he could think of.

Nikko's grandmother, Miu, was the first to arrive. She was a good-natured elderly woman with long and soft white hair. She was quite short, even shorter than Nikko. The teen introduced her to Takafumi, as the three were sitting in the kitchen.

- You're bigger than what Soma told me. You look like a bear. – Miu smiled. – I hope you're taking good care of my grandson.

- I am. – Takafumi quickly replied, blushing slightly. The woman's frankness made him feel uncomfortable.

- I must say, I don't see why Soma and Rai were so worried. – She stated, observing him carefully. – Seeing what teenagers are like, it's good to see Nikko has chosen someone reliable and mature, and not some seventeen-year-old idiot. Actually, I am quite impressed to see Nikko has such good taste when picking a soul mate.

- It's nice to hear your opinion about teenagers on my seventeenth birthday. – Nikko laughed.

- Oh, shut up! – His grandmother playfully slapped him on the shoulder. – You'll see when you're older that I am right. Now let me talk more with your boyfriend.

The teen smiled while Takafumi mumbled something, blushing slightly. Nikko stood up to go greet an aunt that had just arrived and left the kitchen. So his lover and the elderly woman were left alone in the kitchen.

- Nervous, are you? – Miu asked.

- Yeah. – He admitted.

- Don't worry so much about it. – She patted him on the back. – You've got nothing to be nervous about – you are a good-looking, smart and successful young man. My son and his wife should be proud that you're in Nikko's life.

- I'll be glad if they just don't think of me as a pervert.

- Pervert? You? – Nikko's grandmother laughed good-heartedly. – I think you coming here disproves this. You're just an ordinary young man who has come to meet his partner's relatives. That's completely normal.

- I guess. – Takafumi mumbled. – You know, Nikko has told me a lot about your cat.

- Ah, yes, he's told me about your cat too. Sorata, if I remember correctly. – Miu smiled. – You should have brought him here.

- Well, he's quite old, and I wasn't sure if he'd like the flight. – Takafumi explained.

Nikko entered the kitchen, holding a little baby girl.

- Meet the birthday girl! – He said cheerfully. – This is my cousin Haruko. She turns one year old today! – He smiled at his lover. – You want to hold her?

- Oh … well … ok …

The older man was slightly nervous, but took the baby anyway. Haruko blinked a few times and then giggled and waved her hand at his face. She was really cute, with auburn hair and light green eyes.

- She's adorable. – Takafumi smiled at the girl.

- Yeah … - Nikko nodded. – Almost everyone's here now, so we should go to the living room.

- Alright. – Miu patted Takafumi on the back. – Brace yourself. – She whispered.

They went to the living room. Takafumi gasped slightly, seeing about two dozen people – grown-ups and children. He felt his guts clenching into a ball at the sight and handed Haruko back to Nikko, in case his hands started shaking.

Then his boyfriend started introducing him to his relatives. Takafumi was no nervous he couldn't pay any attention to their names, so in the end he was still standing in a room full of strangers. To his slight relief he saw that everyone seemed to be friendly to him. As promised, Nikko stayed by his side the whole time.

- Can we … go out for a while? I need some fresh air. – Takafumi whispered after half an hour.

The teen nodded and led him to the garden. A few children were there, running around and screaming something.

- More cousins? – Takafumi smiled.

- Cousins and children of cousins … - Nikko replied. – Sorry, they're a bit loud.

- It's ok. I really just wanted to get out of there. – The older man gasped. – I-I mean …

- Don't worry, I understand. It can be a bit overwhelming to meet everyone all at once. – The teen moved closer and hugged his lover. – Did you like my grandmother?

- Yeah, she's a really nice woman.

- Yeah … To be honest, I wanted you to meet her, that's why I asked you to come here with me. I don't really care about my other relatives meeting you.

- Umm … hey, I've been thinking about this for a while … maybe you'd like to meet my parents? I feel terrible that I get to meet your family, and you don't get to meet mine. It's like I'm hiding you or something.

- You really want me to meet your parents? – Nikko asked looking up.

- Yeah.

- Oh god! – The teen exclaimed. – I'm gonna be so nervous they'll hate me.

- No they won't, don't worry. – Takafumi soothed him. – I'm sure my parents will like you.

- But you haven't even told them you're with a guy. – Nikko said.

- Yes, I know. Truth is, I'm scared of telling them, so I want you to be with me when I do.

The teen smiled and squeezed him tightly, resting his head on his chest. He could feel his lover's heartbeat, which he had discovered to be the most soothing sound in the world for him.

- Come on. Let's go back inside. – Takafumi said after a while.

- Are you sure?

- Yeah. I can handle it. – The older man looked at Nikko a bit worried. – Do we have to do this every year?

- I'm afraid so. But it will get better, trust me.

Takafumi smiled.

- Even if it gets worse, I'd still be happy to be with you. – He started to walk back to the house, but Nikko tugged him lightly to stop him. – What is it?

- Let's stay here just a little longer. – The teen muttered.

He placed his hands on the older man's waist and kissed him gently. His body was swaying slightly. Takafumi wrapped his arms around the small body and held his boyfriend tightly.

- I am never letting you go. – He whispered.

- I don't plan on going anywhere without you. – Nikko replied with a smile and then chuckled. – I guess we're stuck with each other forever.

None of them wanted to have it any other way.


End file.
